Neon Genesis Evangelion: SUBSTANCE
by Luanfrag
Summary: "A future for him, and for mankind. This is my Will". Shinji Ikari never expected to be called to Tokyo-3, a summon he both hoped and dreaded; but following his uncle's advice, he faced his destiny head on: he will not run away. In the shadows, a new player makes a move: an organization works to fulfill the will of someone who gave everything for the future of humanity.
1. The Beast that ripped his heart out

**Disclaimer: I don't own Neon Genesis Evangelion or Rebuild of Evangelion.**

 **(Also: This is my first fic)**

 **NEON GENESIS**

 **EVANGELION: SUBSTANCE**

 **Episode 1:**

" **The Beast that ripped his heart out."**

* * *

 **(The year is 2015 A.D.)**

 **(Tokyo-3)**

" _ **Due to special emergency, all lines are currently unavailable.**_ _"_

The boy held the payphone close to his ear while a female robotic voice announced, once again, that the lines weren't working. He had tried to make a call for over ten minutes, hoping that was just a temporary malfunction, but eventually realized that he was just wasting time.

He gazed at the handset with an disappointed look, as if the plastic object were at fault.

"It's useless", he sighed, placing the phone back in the holder, and looking around him, trying to decide what to do, or find someone to ask for directions. He looked at the golden watch on his left wrist, checking the hours. He slid his thumb on the metal: still good as new.

The streets were completely empty. Not a soul was visible, even if there were some cars parked here and there, but beyond the presence of some birds on an electric pole, he was completely alone, and he had the feeling that something _weird_ was going on: he had always heard that Tokyo-3 was one of the most advanced cities in Japan, maybe in the whole world, so he found it odd that there was nobody on sight. He expected packed streets, hundreds of cars on the roads, and train cars moving on the many rails he saw crossing the city. But instead, the city stood completely still.

Not that he was one to complain: he always enjoyed the silence, the peace and tranquility, being no fan of big crowds, nor being used to them. The place he lived since he was four was a relatively small town, with low population and quiet streets, even in the middle of a working day. Back there, the quietness was calming. But right now, the silence was unnerving.

He sighed again, and started to regret leaving his home. "Why did I even come?", he asked himself, without really knowing the answer.

* * *

When the letter had come, the one to open it was his guardian who, the boy remembered well, furrowed his brows upon reading the paper. "Who sent it?", he asked the man, puzzled by his expression. The man sighed and snickered, as if he considered the letter a bad joke.

"It's from your father", he answered. The boy took half a minute to process that information, and when he did, many thoughts and questions rushed through his mind: "What does he want? Does he want to...see me again? Ask me to move in with him?". While he knew that was probably not the case, he at least was curious about the possibility that his father wanted to talk to him.

The last time he saw him was three years ago. At the occasion, a visit to his mother's grave, both were silent: his father stood there like an emotionless statue, glasses covering his eyes, and every word that he directed to his son was cold and uncaring. The boy simply kept quiet and stared at the grave, not knowing what to do or what to say, incapable of trying to reach out to him. Eventually, his father was gone, and he was left alone. But now, he sent him a letter. Not a phone call, not a visit: a simple letter.

Curiosity got the better of him. "Can I read it?", he asked his guardian, with wide expectant eyes. Whatever it was, he wanted to see it now.

The man scratched the back of his neck and made a worried expression as he looked at his protégé and back at the paper. He hesitated for a few seconds, and then handed the letter, with another sigh. "Sure. It's addressed to you, anyway."

The boy, even without realizing, was excited to read it. His father sent him _something_. He never called, never checked, never made anything that showed the boy that his father even remembered his existence, except now. That was a first.

He got the letter, and then read it, surprisingly fast. _Too fast_. The paper was covered with black highlighter, and there was only one sentence he could read, at the right bottom of the paper, written in kanji.

" **COME"**.

That was it. He turned the paper backside, expecting to see something more, but there was none. He focused on the only word that was readable, and stayed there for a couple of minutes, trying to understand.

That was it? A single word, blunt and cold.

As he should have expected from his father.

He started to get angry. All these years, and that was the only thing that his father could say to him. He had no idea of what he wanted, but the fact that his father simply _ordered_ him to go, like he was just some tool to be discarded and picked up when needed, enraged him. He slowly crushed the paper with his hands, narrowing his eyes and gritting his teeth, trying not to cry.

But after a few seconds, a hand took hold of his shoulders, and he turned his face to see his guardian standing beside him, a look of understanding in his eyes.

"I know how you feel, Shinji. But getting angry won't solve anything, you know it". Shinji listened to him. His uncle always had the best advice. He started to calm down and brushed the tears from his face.

"Good, breathe slow and steady. There.", his uncle and guardian said, as Shinji got back to normal. He lifted his arm from around the boy's shoulder, to give him some space to think. Then, the boy turned to face the man.

"What do I do, uncle?", he asked, with an expression of genuine doubt. He didn't want to go, that was clear, but an order from Gendo Ikari was hardly disobeyed without consequence.

The man held a thoughtful expression for a few moments, then finally gave Shinji a small smile and answered honestly:

"You have to do what you think is right, Shinji".

* * *

Shinji had pondered upon those words for some time, trying to decide if they were good advice or not. He could decide not to go and face the consequences, and he probably wouldn't have to face his father again if he just ran away. He would give up on him for good.

"'For good?' He already gave up, a long time ago", Shinji remembered himself, with a frown, and a annoying feeling on his chest.

But he had come anyway, and he didn't know the reason. Did he want praise? Did he want to try and have his father in his life once more?

Nonsense, he thought. He didn't need him. He didn't need a father figure: he already had his uncle, and it was more than enough. He didn't need to prove anything to him. But he had to be a man, and face the situation, as his uncle always advised.

Shaking these thoughts off, he sighed and held up two other objects that came with the letter: an ID card, with a red fig leaf as a symbol and the word NERV in it, which should be his father's company; and a photograph of an attractive woman, with purple hair and wearing an yellow tank top and shorts. She leaned her body, making sure he could see a bit of cleavage (there was also an arrow pointing at it, with the phrase "Check it out!", so it must have been intentional), and had an flirtatious expression, blinking one eye. There was even lipstick on the photo, where she apparently had kissed it.

His uncle had not seen the picture, as Shinji found it later between the papers, and he had quickly slid it into his pocket.

Not that he was going to, well, _do_ something with it: he was not the kind of person to simply use the image of an woman he didn't even knew for that kind of stuff. He wasn't a pervert.

But truth be told, she was really attractive, so he decided to keep it. And aside from being the woman who sent him lewd pictures, she was also going to retrieve him when he got to the city, so he might as well return it to her. Except the problem lied there: he had been waiting her for more than half an hour, and no sign of any car.

He was ready to walk away, to at least get to some shade or anything to protect himself from the heat, when suddenly he heard the sounds of a flock of birds taking off, which startled him a bit. But when he turned to look, something else catch his attention.

In the middle of the street, a couple of hundred meters away from him, standed a girl, all alone. He caught a glimpse of blue from her clothes and hair, but when Shinji blinked, the girl disappeared.

"Huh", he thought, raising an eyebrow. "Must've been my imagination". He returned to his task of getting out of the heat. But before he could move, he felt a strong wind blowing him, and a loud sound from some distance, like an explosion. He put his arms in front of his face, trying to protect himself from something that never came, but seeing that he was safe, he turned to look to the source of the noise. When he saw it, he regretted his last thought: he wasn't safe at all.

From behind a tall hill covered with trees, he first saw many VTOL Aircrafts retreating back side, clearly keeping watch at something. That something came soon after. Shinji, at the time, could only stare in horror as he saw it: a monster, a creature, taller than a building, with a weirdly humanoid form and long arms and legs. He was black for the most part, with some white around his legs and on his shoulders. He didn't had a "head", per se, but on the top of his chest, there was a weird bird-shaped mask, with two holes for eyes. And on the center of his body, a protuberant crimson orb , like a giant tumor.

Shinji heard a hissing sound from behind him, and emediatelly ducked out of fear as he saw two air-to-air missiles dart towards the monster, who received them full blast. The explosion lifted an cloud of smoke, and from inside it, a beaming red spear pierced one of the Aircrafts, which then lost control and landed right in front of Shinji, who was now trying to get up, decided to run for his life.

The boy didn't even saw it jump, but in a few seconds, the creature was right in front of him, stepping with his gigantic foot on the crashed VTOL, causing an explosion that sent Shinji back to the ground. He hurt the palms of his hands trying to soften his fall, and he would've felt the burning pain if he didn't had an absurd amount of adrenaline running through his body.

I'm going to die, he thought desperately, paralyzed by fear and unable to get up and run. He closed his eyes and waited for his doom.

Instead, he heard a screeching sound and smelled burning tires. He opened his eyes, and saw that between him and the monster's foot stood a blue Renault Alpine, still wobbling from the sudden brake, smoke coming from the wheels.

Immediately, the driver's door opened to reveal a woman in black clothes and sunglasses looking at him with a smirk in her face.

"Get in! Sorry for taking so long!", she said hurriedly, and Shinji was pleased to comply: he jumped from his pathetic stance on the ground and threw himself inside the car, almost landing with his face on the woman's lap. He lifted himself and screamed "GO!", his mind set with the only objective of getting the hell out of there. But she was already ahead of him, changing to first gear and accelerating at full strength.

The tires lifted some smoke, but soon the car was darting in the opposite direction of the giant creature, and they almost got smashed by it's other foot, which destroyed the entire streeb behind them.

Shinji tried to hold himself inside the car, as the woman's driving skills seemed a little too orthodox for his taste. She apparently didn't care if they crashed in a lamp post or broke their necks turning a curve, as she drove madly throughout the streets, without slowing down.

"Well, beats being crushed by a giant foot", he tried to convince himself, as he feared for his life once more.

* * *

 **(NERV Central Dogma)**

Gendo Ikari watched the attack through a big screen located on the opposite side from his commanding post. The screen was big enough for everyone on the room to watch, and served the purpose of giving a overview of the battle. His chair was located a little further from the balcony, where the highest ranking generals of Japan sat and overseed the combat operation.

The Commander of NERV usually would found this insulting: the purpose of his organization was to deal with this exact situation, and now he was left on the side because they thought they were better prepared and equipped to handle the situation, despising Gendo and NERV and labeling them "a waste of money and taxes on toys".

Gendo, of course, didn't found this insulting. To be insulted was a waste of time, and would in no way further his objectives. The only virtue he had to held right now was patience, as he watched for the strike operation to fail completely. The UN and Japan had no weapons that could even scratch the creature, a secret that he held to himself. No need for the military or whoever ordered the attack to know this kind of information, as he had them right where he wanted.

So he kept to himself, and waited.

"It's been fifteen years." Kozo Fuyutsuki commented in a monotone tone, standing on his right side, as the Sub-Commander would usually be found.

"Yes", Gendo replied, with equal indifference. "It's an angel".

As they talked, the Angel moved to the the center of one of the many tactical cameras that sprawled through the city, still destroying the aircrafts and missiles thrown at him with ease, as if they were mere flies.

"Dammit, it's no use!", General Yamamoto growled, slamming his fist on the table and making a mess out of the ashtray which lied there.

"Artillery and guided missiles have no effect", General Konoe sighed, with his arms crossed and a frown, "We'll never defeat it with the firepower we have".

The existence of the A.T. Field, something which no conventional weapon could trespass, was no secret to the Commander. But once again, he kept quiet.

A phone call, an I.D. sliding and a quick conversation among the generals informed Gendo that they had decided to hold back the aerial attack, and use their last resource: an N² mine. The explosive was almost as powerful as an nuclear bomb, without the radiation and complication that splitting the atom ensued.

Commander Ikari, unbeknownst to everyone else, smirked behind his gloved hands. Everything was going according to the plan.

* * *

Away from the city, inside her car parked on a cliff, Misato Katsuragi watched the battle unfold, while Shinji tried to look past her to see what was going on: at least thirty VTOLs swarmed the air above the Angel, in attack formation. She knew it was useless, and the military was only wasting money and lives. What good was NERV, if they couldn't even do their jobs?

Her thoughts were interrupted when the whole fleet of aircrafts suddenly retreated, leaving the beast all by itself in the middle of the city. Misato frowned, as she didn't understood what was happening.

"Are they giving up on the attack? Did they authorize NERV to deploy EVA? But how…"

Soon, her eyes widened, realizing what was about to happen.

"GET DOWN!"

She threw herself over the boy, who squealed at the sudden move. How manly, Misato thought sarcastically, as she braced herself for what was coming.

A blinding flash of light engulfed everything, making Shinji gasp before closing his eyes, not understanding what was happening. But soon a shockwave and a loud blast made the car go upside down, and keep rolling at the cliff they were at.

They both kept bumping on the sides of the car, and when the car stopped spinning, the woman kept holding Shinji with all her strength against her chest to protect him. When the boy found his bearings, he noticed the awkward position, causing his face to quickly flush.

Fortunately, the woman was too distracted to notice the teenage boy internally screaming on her bosom, and released her hold on him, trying to get out of the car, which Shinji now noticed was upside down. "Damn, that hurts", she whispered to herself as she exited the vehicle and helped the boy do the same, before looking around her.

The car ended up outside the road, and she could see the mushroom cloud on the distance, looming over them like a storm, result of the most powerful weapon on the military's arsenal. She hoped it would stop the Angel, preferably killing it. But she would worry about it later.

Turning to the boy, Misato gave him a good look, analysing the skinny boy, dressed on a white shirt and black trousers held by a buckle.

On his left wrist, a golden watch, and a expensive one, at that. She whistled mentally.

He had short brown hair and dark blue eyes, and even though his face was covered in dirt, he was kind of cute, and held a determined expression as he dusted off his clothing, breathing heavily. He must be popular with the girls, she thought.

Shinji was trying to enwrap the situation, which moved from giant monsters to nuclear explosions. "What the hell is happening here?", he asked himself, before raising his eyes to see his savior looking at him, head to toe. For a second he forgot she was there, and for another second blushed as he remembered his face pressed against her chest.

He recognized her, now that he had time to think: she was the woman who sent him that lightly explicit photograph which was now on his pocket, and the one who was supposed to pick him up. He stuttered at the realization, as meeting her in person was slightly better than seeing her on a picture. He quickly recomposed, cleared his throat and looked her in the eyes.

"T-thank you for saving me!", he said with genuine gratitude and a quick bow. He was terrified of the whole situation, but she came on the last second to save his neck. Ok, he thought, she is a bit reckless, or even _crazy_ , but she was brave too. Shinji didn't know if he would had the courage to drive through the middle of a battle to rescue someone, but was glad she had.

The woman was looking at him, but didn't seemed to pay attention to his words, but after a few seconds she blinked, noticing the boy thanking her. She held her hand up.

"Ah, don't worry. I had to pick you up, and I did, didn't I?", she said, with a small laugh. Then she extended her hand, and gave him a disarming smile. "Misato Katsuragi, nice to meet you, Shinji-kun".

Shinji gave a nervous smile at this, but shook her hand firmly. "Nice to meet you too, Katsuragi-san".

"Oh, please, just call me Misato", she answered. People addressing her with honorifics made her feel old, and she wasn't even thirty yet, even though it was getting close, a feeling she shuddered at.

"Ok...Misato", he said, still smiling. Misato was satisfied: he stopped stuttering, and looked more relaxed. "Are you hurt or anything?", she asked.

Shinji waved his hands dismissively, not wanting to worry her.

"Don't worry, I was just a little bit dizzy from the crash, but I'm ok."

At that, Misato gave him a warm look, before turning to more pressing matters.

"Well, looks like we'll need to turn the car over. Can you give me a little help?"

* * *

Miles from there, at the epicenter of the explosion, a colossus rose again. The Angel standed up again, still recovering from the massive blast which hit him directly. It wasn't enough to destroy him, but was enough to stop him for a few hours, while he regenerated. His facial plate was damaged, so he started to generate a new one, while his lungs sucked the air heavily. He would delay his advance towards the depths of NERV until fully recovered, meanwhile unleashing his wrath on the remaining artillery around, which kept shooting at him, like a bunch of insects stinging their prey, without any result.

* * *

The military at the command center was in panic, as their most powerful and efficient weapon had failed completely.

"W-we...have nothing else on our arsenal. He's too strong!", cried General Konoe.

The Angel looked straight to the camera on the helicopter, before a flash of light appeared and disappeared on a blink. The camera immediately stopped working, the words "Malfunction" all over the screen.

"Interesting. His regenerative abilities are impressive, and he seems to be capable of evolving his cognition", Fuyutsuki mused, a hand on his chin.

"It is an highly evolved autonomous weapon. Seems our expectations were correct", Gendo Ikari concluded. Everything was following the path, even the Angel and it's appearance and power. The Dead Sea Scrolls didn't lie, after all.

Sachiel, the angel of water. True to his name, he had come from the seas, and stalked the flooded areas of the city until rising to dry land and destroying everything in its path. He was merely a test, according to the Old Men, as were all other Angels they expected to appear. Their end goal, while still a bit far, was closer than ever. They had to start somewhere.

So when the three generals who were still on the command bridge called upon him, with troubled looks on their eyes, Gendo obeyed.

"Gendo Ikari, from this point onward, the command of this operation will be entrusted to you.", Yamamoto said, with discomfort and a frown. He didn't enjoy having to do this. "We admit that our weapons have no effect on the target. Are you sure you have the means to defeat the creature?", he asked.

"Of course. That is why NERV was created", Ikari responded.

The general squinted his eyes, and gazed at the tall brown haired man's glasses, trying to detect some hint of hesitation. He found none.

"Very well", he completed, pressing a button on the command panel, which made his seat, and his peer's, to sunk into the ground like an elevator, disappearing from the command center.

Kozo Fuyutuski watched the military aircrafts retreating on the holographic map, like scared flies, and then turned to Ikari.

"What are we going to do?", he asked, calm.

"We'll activate Unit-01, of course."

The Sub-commander's eyes widened. This was unexpected.

"But we have no pilot", he said, frowning. What was Ikari's plan?

Gendo turned to him, adjusting his glasses, and smirked.

"We do, Professor. A spare is coming."

* * *

Shinji, while not exactly comfortable with Misato's speed and driving skills, understood that she was in a hurry. There was a monster attacking the city, after all. He also kind of understood when she took...no, _stole_ , some car batteries on a nearby gas station.

Instead, he was watching the place where the explosion took place, and he could see the top of the giant creature's head, just standing there. Impressive enough, it wasn't dead, or even hurt, by the looks of it. Maybe it was invincible.

Shinji shivered at the thought.

Misato kept muttering something about "loan payments", "car repairs" and "her best dress ruined", her face increasingly worried. The car was a wrecked mess, but it still worked, so he just left her alone.

He looked ahead and saw a tunnel approaching. When they entered it, Misato pulled the car into some kind of elevator, which transported the car down sideways. After a few minutes, the woman broke the silence.

"So, Shinji-kun, do you know what your father does here?", she asked in a "trying to make conversation" tone.

Shinji looked at her, and scratched his head. His uncle didn't like to talk about his father's work too much, always changing the subject, usually something less "Gendo-oriented". It became evident that Gendo was a touchy subject for him too, so both had agreed not to talk about it too much. That thought reminded Shinji how much he missed his uncle.

But he had told Shinji what his father's job was, once. So he pulled that from the back of his memory.

"My uncle said that it was, um... important work for the protection of humanity", the boy answered, with his hand on his chin. He then looked around him, and saw the same red symbol that was on his I.D. Card painted on a wall, reading "NERV". "So this is my father's agency?", he asked Misato.

"Yes, he is the Commander of NERV, a very important position. Meaning: he pays my salary", she grinned at him, but stopped when she saw his thoughtful expression. The boy seemed to be shy at one moment, and then turn completely serious all of the sudden. Misato felt that this was wrong: a child should be laughing and making jokes, and not being moody and introspective.

Shinji turned to her. "Are you taking me to my father?", he asked, frowning as he made the question. The woman took this as a sign that the boy didn't exactly saw his father eye-to-eye. She smiled anyway, leaving her worries beside.

"Yes, apparently you will be needed", she tried to not sound like he was some kind of tool to be used. "Everything NERV does is very important work, we help humanity as whole, you know? I'm sure whatever they need you for, you will do a fantastic job". Now she tried to be cheerful, but apparently, touching on the subject of his father was not a good way to lift his spirits, as the boy sighed and responded with a weak "Sure".

She decided to change the subject.

"Did you received you NERV I.D. Card?", she asked.

The boy searched his bag, and then found the paper and the dark piece of plastic with his picture in it, which he handed to her. The letter was crumpled and torn apart on the edges, and Misato frowned, looking at the boy, who just shrugged. Then, she took a good look at his I.D., where a picture of a bored Shinji Ikari was printed.

"Well, to your credit, you do look better in person", she said with a chuckle. The boy managed to smile shyly. "Thanks", he responded.

Shinji, while not used to many compliments (except from his uncle, who used to say good things about his cooking and skill with the cello, among other cheerful comments he generally said towards the boy), knew that the woman meant it. She didn't look like the kind of person to lie about stuff like this. Evading the praise would generally just annoy the person, so he usually just said thanks. And, besides, he liked it.

"Uh, Shinji-kun?", Misato asked softly, with a small smile on her lips. "What about that picture I sent you?"

The boy froze for a second, looking at her with wide eyes. He had forgotten about that.

"Hmm, s-sorry Misato-san. Here it is", he said, as he pulled the picture quickly from his pocket, handing it to her.

Misato, on her side, had to suppress a laughter. So he IS a normal teenage boy after all, she thought. Grabbing the picture from his hand, she couldn't help but to feel good about it: not only her amazing body and dashing looks were still at hundred percent, but the mere act of Shinji hiding the picture told her that the boy had more on him that the eyes could meet, and wasn't that much of a doormat as he looked. It was normal for a boy his age, she wouldn't judge him as a pervert.

Hell, she thought, maybe I am the pervert here.

She then shot a grin at Shinji, who began to stutter "Sorrysorrysorry, it fell from my pocket and I picked up and didn't put back on the ba…"

His mumbling was interrupted when a strong light engulfed the car, making Shinji look for it's source. When he found, he hanged his jaw, stunned by the vision.

"It's...a real Geo-Front!", he declared, with a wide smile on his face as he watched the huge concave cavern which housed NERV. He was in awe, as he never had seen such a thing before, only heard from it. He could see train lines crossing the place, hanged on either sides of the cave, and a big pyramid-like building on the middle of a green field, littered with trees.

Misato explained that the building was NERV's command center, his father workplace, where he would meet Shinji. The boy didn't even flinched at his father's mention: he was too enthralled by the view.

"Oh, right! I forgot", Misato hit her own forehead. She pulled a small book from the backseat and handed it to Shinji. It read "NERV - For your eyes only". Top secret stuff, apparently.

"It's the manual. You will find everything you need to know in it!", she added with a smile.

Not everything, of course. There were many thing hidden on the depths of the Geo-front which she had no information at all, and Misato was used to bugger her friend Ritsuko about supposed secret NERV stuff. Only as a joke, sure, but she was starting to think that the doctor's secrets must've been very good ones, for her to not tell her absolutely anything.

Maybe these "secrets" were not that interesting, she sighed.

* * *

"Misato, are you sure this is the right way?", Shinji asked, after long twenty minutes of walking around. He had the manual in front of his face, apparently reading the map, se he _might've_ been right. But Misato wasn't ready to give up yet.

"Sure, Shinji, I know this place like the palm of my hand!", she lied blatantly. The boy just look at her with an unsure expression, but kept going anyway. No need to antagonize her.

Meanwhile, Misato tried to figure where the hell where they. "Maybe I should've turned left on the last door, or maybe go straight ahead?", she muttered to herself, not wanting to be heard by Shinji.

* * *

" _Dr. Ritsuko, Dr. Ritsuko, please contact Captain Misato Katsuragi of Operations, Division 1, immediately"._

"I can't believe it", Dr. Akagi groaned, as she left the pool of LCL on a diving suit. "She's lost again".

* * *

Shinji stood in the elevator, reading the NERV guide intently, trying to find something interesting, or, at least, something that could tell him what NERV actually _did_. Meanwhile, Misato stared at the doors, with the intent of rushing out of it as soon as it opened, to try and find her way as quickly as possible.

When she hear a 'ding', she prepared herself to rush in, but the vision of a faux blonde woman dressed in a lab coat made her stop and fear for her life.

"Ritsuko! I was looking for you!", she said, trying and failing to fix the situation. The doctor just frowned and stepped inside the elevator.

"Captain, what are you doing?", she asked, calmly, staring at Misato with eyes that could melt walls. "We're short on manpower right now, so we can't waste time like this".

Misato just put her hand in front of her face and gave her an apologetic "Sorry!". Ritsuko sighed deeply, then turned her attention to the boy in the corner, who had lifted his head to see who had entered the elevator. When he saw the doctor, he lowered the guide, and payed attention.

"So, you are him?", she asked, with an raised eyebrow. He didn't look like much, just a skinny little boy, although she could see the resemblance with his father, like the brown hair and his jawline, which even though wasn't a grown man's, reminded her of the Commander's. She shuddered at the thought.

"Yep! Here he is: the Third Child, according to the Marduk Institute", Misato said, giving him an approving look. She already liked the kid.

"I see. Nice to meet you", Ritsuko said, nodding her head to the boy.

Shinji, instead, bowed with a meek smile on his mouth. "Pleased to meet you too. I'm Shinji Ikari", he presented himself.

Ritsuko couldn't help but smile. Even though the reports said that he was a shy and introvert, the boy was apparently very polite, and didn't even broke eye contact with her, which was a sign of inadequacy.

"I know your name, Shinji, don't worry. I'm Dr. Ritsuko Akagi, head scientist of NERV", she said, shaking hands with the boy. A firm grip. "As you may deduce, I work with your father", she added.

Ritsuko would lie if she said she wasn't interested in seeing the boy's first meeting with his father in years, so she payed attention to the kid's reaction to the mention of the Commander. His smile faltered a bit, but besides that, he kept his composure. Maybe the kid wasn't that weak willed that the mere mention of Gendo would make him go depressed. Or maybe he was used to it.

"Y-yes, I thought so", he simply said.

Eventually (and with Dr. Akagi's help) they found their way and boarded another lift.

Both women started to talked about something that the boy didn't understand, so he choose to ignore it.

"It seems pretty serious, huh?", Misato asked upon hearing the alarms on the base. "How is Unit-01?"

"Unit-01 is still frozen, and it's using B-Type equipment. It's chance of activation is 0,000001%", Ritsuko answered, unfazed by the low number.

Misato whistled. "That's pretty low".

"Don't be insulting. It's not a zero". Ritsuko retorted.

The lift they took passed along a huge aquarium like structure, and Shinji stared at the glass, seeing something inside it.

He squinted his eyes, trying to make its shape. It looked like something big, but he couldn't tell what.

It looked like...tentacles? No, maybe...fingers? A hand?

His vision of the aquarium got blocked by a steel plate, and he saw that the ride was over.

He was now in a dark room, his only source of light was the elevator's, which soon closed, leaving him in complete blackness.

"What the...what happened?", Shinji asked aloud, hoping that his two companions would hear him, but before they could answer, the lights came on. Shinji closed his eyes at the bright sudden light, and when he opened again, he saw a monster.

Jumping back at the vision, the boy gasped as he saw a giant head made of steel, painted purple, with a single horn and white eyes, which stared at him, making him feel uncomfortable.

"Is this...is this a robot? But how...", he as stupefied at the sight, and after a few seconds tried to search about this... _thing_ on the manual. Dr. Akagi stopped him short.

"You won't find anything in there", she said, and Shinji looked at her with an puzzled look, waiting for her to continue.

"This is mankind's ultimate multipurpose weapon", she explained, looking over at the giant head. Shinji followed her gaze. "The synthetic human, Evangelion Unit-01", she finished.

The boy kept staring, with his mouth open. This...this was _crazy_. He had saw that huge monster destroying the city, which he barely escaped from. Now, in front of him, another monstrosity lied, staring at him, with empty eyes. The thing had green details here and there, and the head looked something like a japanese feudal helmet, it's mouth grinning at him, like the thing was laughing at the boy.

What the hell was his father work?, he asked himself. Could it be...that they are trying to _fight_ the monster he saw outside?

"It's been a while", a voice said from the speakers. A voice familiar to Shinji, and at the same time, not familiar at all. He suddenly felt something stir up in his stomach, and his chest started to feel heated. He was angry.

"Father?", he lifted his head, to see a figure standing up on a command platform, behind a glass window. When he saw him, some of that rage was gone. Now that he was on his presence, he didn't knew how to act. He couldn't just jump at him and scream, could he?

No, of course not, don't be stupid.

He could see the man looking down on him, his eyes behind the glasses, like a wall, hiding his true face, whatever it was. Shinji suddenly felt very small, and he could barely look at his father in the eye. But he kept the eye contact. Even angry, confused and without knowing what to do, Shinji still wanted to know what his father planned.

Seeing the child like this made Gendo smirk.

He had hoped that Akira had grown the boy into someone who could stand up for himself, and obey orders when commanded. The first part was half-true, and the latter would still be seen. Maybe the boy wasn't such a coward: he could see the rage behind his eyes. If he could, he would strangle Gendo right there, he thought. They were justified, maybe, but there was no time to play this childish game.

If he didn't pilot, he was useless to Gendo. Fortunately, he had a few ways to convince him.

"We are moving out", the commander announced. Misato's eyes widened.

"What? But...Unit-00 still in cryo-stasis!", she desperately told the commander. Seeing no reaction, she realized what he was planning. She glared at the EVA standing beside her. "Are you planning to use Unit-01? But Rei is still hurt!".

"It has to be done. As for the pilot, one has just been delivered", Ritsuko responded, a serious look on her face. Misato knew that look. The doctor would not change her mind.

"You have got to be kidding", Misato said in disbelief. She looked at Shinji, and saw the boy looking wide eyed to the EVA, his mouth agape.

"Shinji Ikari", RItsuko called his attention. Shinji turned to look at her, clearly not understanding the situation completely. "You will pilot it".

The boy was taken aback by the doctor's words. How in the world would he do that? It's madness! Was that why his father called him? To make him enter this giant robot and get himself killed?

"B-but, I don't even…"

Misato cut him by yelling at Ritsuko.

"Even Rei took months to synchronize with her EVA!", she tried to convince her friend that this was a bad idea. She couldn't just let them shove that young boy inside a deadly machine without any training.

"He is only expected to sit on it, nothing more", the doctor was getting impatient. "We need any combat Unit available in this moment of crisis. You know how important it is that the angels are defeated, Captain. You more than anyone else."

Misato didn't respond to that. Ritsuko's words cut deep. She was right, her deepest desire, her reason for working at NERV, the thing she most wanted, was to destroy every angel out there, the creatures that destroyed everything she had. She wanted...revenge. Was it even revenge? Where once there was rage, now there was only a hollow feeling. She sighed.

"I...see", Misato answered, defeated.

Shinji kept looking at the EVA, not believing that was happening. This was suicide.

"Father...is this why you called me?", Shinji asked, with his head low, but looking at his father intently.

"Correct. You will pilot it", he responded, his voice commanding and monotonous at the same time.

Shinji suppressed his anger, but not entirely. He wouldn't been able to.

"T-this is absurd!, he yelled. "You expect me to enter this thing and fight that monster?!"

Shinji now looked directly at his father, his indignation evident.

"That is right. It's the reason you are here", that was his only answer.

"I can't! I don't know how!", Shinji yelled once again. So his father only called him when he needed cannon bushing? Why was it that only him could pilot? "Why...why me?", he asked.

"No one else can", his father responded.

Bullshit, Shinji thought angrily. They were just talking about another pilot. He or she could do it, with training! Why did they had to drag him there?

"Decide at once! If you will pilot, then so be it. If you don't, then leave!", the Commander said in a harsh tone.

Unbeknownst to them, the technicians that worked on the EVA all had their attention at the discussion. They knew the commander was a harsh man, but to make a fourteen year old boy pilot a war machine? That was beyond their imagination.

Shinji just kept quiet, and didn't answer. How could his father expect such a thing from him?

Just a wave of his hand and Shinji would behave like a puppy, and obey his orders. He wasn't his puppet! He hated his father! He wouldn't pilot just to spite him!

He can go to hell, he thought, angrily. There was a tremor. Probably the angel attack.

Misato looked at the boy, worriedly. "Shinji, you must do it. Please." The boy ignored her.

"Why did you come here, Shinji? Please!". The boy couldn't keep from hearing her, and it got to him. Am I a coward?, he asked himself.

The Commander looked at him with a scowl. The boy didn't had to answer his demand for him to know he hadn't the intention of piloting.

But there was another way.

He opened a video feed to his Sub-commander.

"Fuyutsuki, bring out Rei", he coldly ordered the older man.

"Can we use her?", he asked.

"She isn't dead", Gendo replied. The feed closed.

He opened another.

"Rei".

"Yes", a feminine soft voice answered.

"The spare is useless. You will pilot Unit-01", he declared.

"Yes", the voice repeated.

Misato and Dr. Akagi both left his side, while the comms announced the reconfiguration of Unit-01.

"I knew it", Shinji thought. "That is all they saw on me. Just a puppet".

He heart a ruffling metallic sound, and looked to his right. Coming from the door, came a team of medical staff, all dragging a stretcher. Was this the pilot?

When they got close, and Shinji could look at the patient, his eyes widened and he frowned, a gasping leaving his mouth.

The girl had a slim body, covered in some kind of white suit, which delineated the curves on her body. Her hair was of a soft blue, and her eyes, when she looked at Shinji, were crimson.

He had seen her before, but where?

No, it was impossible. He never visited Tokyo-3, and his memory wasn't that good. He was mistaken.

The fact was that the girl was hurt. _Badly._ She wimpered and moaned in pain as she tried to rise from the stretcher. It seemed like every inch of her hurt. Shinji looked at her, feeling a pang of guilt. She was the pilot?! They were going to send her to be killed?

Suddenly, he heard a blasting sound, and everything started to shake, like an earthquake. Shinji fell into the ground and tried to hold the edge of the walkway, to avoid falling into the pool where they kept the EVA. He saw the blue-haired girl fall from the stretcher, screaming in pain. Shinji gasped, and tried to run for her, to help her get up, but another tremor sent him down again. Then he looked up and saw it.

The pipes and beams above him started to break and fall, coming right at him. Shinji screamed, and held up his arms, in a useless attempt of protecting himself. He would die.

But it didn't came. Instead, he hear the sound of something moving through water and the metal beams hitting something also metallic. He opened his to see the EVA's hand protecting him from the falling debris. "How did it…?", Shinji asked, perplexed.

"This is impossible! It doesn't even have an entry plug! It couldn't have moved on his own!", Dr. Akaki yelled, not believing what she saw.

Misato was also perplexed, and looked at the boy who was below the EVA's hand. How did it happen? "Could it be protecting...him?", she asked herself.

Shinji didn't waste time: he ran straight to the hurt girl, who was lying on the floor. He took her upper body and lifted, trying to help her to lift, but she was too hurt. Just her face showed that she wouldn't take it. While he tried to help her, he felt his right hand grow warm. He brought it up so he could see it.

It was covered in blood. He felt the girl shuddering below him, and Shinji hated that. She was almost dying, and they would make her pilot it? It wasn't fair! She could die easier than him, even with her training! The boy took deep breaths, and, from the back of his mind, a memory stirred.

* * *

"I-I can't do it, uncle!", a younger Shinji cried. "I hate them! I hate everyone!".

The man now had a problem: his nephew had refused to return to school. The reason was pretty obvious: Shinji wasn't used to crowds. The school that he had been frequenting was relatively bigger than his older one, and the boy got scared.

He was young boy, barely seven years old, and it was an understandable fear. But the boy had to study. He had no future if he didn't.

Akira wasn't the better example of the world when it came to advices. He committed mistakes in the past, but managed to live a life past them, mostly. He had run away from situations before, so he knew how the boy felt. And he also knew how it would be for him if he kept doing it.

"Shinji, come here.", the boy sniffed, and slowly approach.

"Why are you scared?", he asked tenderly.

The boy looked at the ground, with a look that seemed more angry than sad.

"I'm not scared!", he replied.

"I see. Then why don't you want to go back?"

Shinji took his time. He fiddled with his fingers, and eventually, with great strength, talked.

"They all go home with...their mothers", he said, depressed.

The man understood. He understood what Shinji was feeling, as he knew of his mother's death, and because he had lost his own. The boy had lost her when he needed the most, so it obviously had a great impact on him. He sighed.

"Shinji, you know your mother can't take you home anymore", at that, the boy lowered his head even more. "But", he continued, "she will always be with you, kid. Even if you don't have memories of her, or even photographs, you still know that she loved you. And that is what it matters", he completed, patting the boy's head.

He still sniffed. "I-I know. But...it feels lonely. Like I can't talk to anyone there. I know they will mock me, call me names! In the end, they just hurt me!", he half yelled.

"You don't know for sure, Shinji. You have to try it first.", the man replied, before assuming a pensive expression.

He then took his golden watch from his wrist. Shinji had always had a fascination for the object, being golden and apparently indestructible: Shinji saw pictures from years back in which his uncle was wearing the same watch.

He then handed the object to the crying Shinji.

"W-wha…?", he asked between his childish sobs.

"Take it, kid. Keep it in your bag. Maybe wear it when you are older. Just don't lose it", he said, grinning. "When you are feeling lonely, just take a look at the watch. You will know that I'm out there, proud of you."

Shinji slowly took the object, not believing it. He would've tried to refuse it, but even a seven year old could understand the value of that gift.

"Shinji", his uncle continued, "I ran away when I was younger. I ran away from so many things, and there is not a day I don't regret those things.", he said, with a sad smile. The boy listened intently, his tears already cleaned.

"If you don't act, you will never know what could've happened. It's always worth it. That is why", he paused, sighing, before looking at Shinji and saying slowly and clearly: "You must not run away".

* * *

Shinji looked at the watch on his wrist. The golden color was still shining, even if it had a scratch here and there. It was his most precious object, besides his SDAT. But the music player was different. It had a more distant value, something Shinji couldn't even grasp. The watch was different: he remembered the moment he received it. And he never let go of it.

He read the inscription that was written on the buckle of the object. It was the name of the former owner, his uncle, the man who took him and cared for him when no one else would.

It read "Akira Rokubungi".

Shinji never understood how a man so kind could be brother to a man so cold and uncaring like his father.

But right now, it didn't mattered. He shouldn't run away. He would never ran away. It didn't mattered if he would do it to protect a girl he barely knew, he still had to to it.

He gave the girl a last look, before assuming an determined expression. He gazed at Dr. Akaki and Misato, who were watching him.

"I'll pilot it.", he said.

 **TO BE CONTINUED**

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** Well, as I said before, this is my first EVA fic. It started with this idea of another person molding Shinji's character as he grew up. Since we barely see or hear anything about his sensei who raised him (badly), I tought: "Well, that's a good place for a change".

Also, be advised that this FIC will contain stuff from the original show AND stuff from the new theatrical movies. I may prefer the show, but the Rebuilds had interesting stuff which weren't that well explored.

I will update this at regular intervals, when I find the time. I already have a good idea for the ending and the stuff that happens in the middle, so, we'll see.


	2. Chamber of reflection

**Disclaimer: I do not own Neon Genesis Evangelion or The Rebuild of Evangelion.**

* * *

 **NEON GENESIS**

 **EVANGELION: SUBSTANCE**

 **Episode 2:**

 **"Chamber of reflection."**

* * *

" **Signal terminator plug has been removed"** , Maya Ibuki announced, with Dr. Akagi and Misato behind her.

On the other two consoles, Makoto Hyuga and Shigeru Aoba analyzed the data which the EVA's computers were sending them, and seeing everything was good to go, gave thumbs up.

"Entry Plug insertion authorized", the young protégé of the head scientist said in the comm. She felt safer with the presence of her senpai behind her: if there was any mistake, the brilliant woman would be able to correct it. Not that it would be any, of course, it was just nerves getting the best of her. It was the first activation of Unit-01, and EVA activation didn't had a history of being calm and smooth.

She watched as the mechanical grip pushed the entry plug inside the back of the EVA's neck, before a green light beeped on her console. The plug was accepted.

"Direct hydro-transmission system connected. Flooding the plug", she announced to the pilot.

Inside the plug, Shinji was sitting in chair molded for a human, while gripping on two control rods. He was supposed to wear two objects similar to hairpins, which Dr. Akagi referred to as A10 clips.

The plug was like a tube, with a big empty space behind him, and he couldn't see a thing inside it, only grey metallic walls. Out of nowhere, the whole thing started to shine and change around him, like some crazy light show, which startled him a bit. He was listening the command bridge announce things that he didn't understood, but a word caught his attention: flooding.

While he tried to figure out what she meant, he felt something wet on his shoes, and looking down, saw that the plug was being filled with an orange liquid. He gasped and almost panicked as it engulfed him completely, making him hold his breath.

"Don't worry, the LCL will fill your lungs and oxygenate your blood directly. You'll get used to it", Dr. Akagi explained.

Shinji then released the air on his lungs and the liquid entered his mouth and nose. After a few seconds of discomfort, he realized that he now could breath and talk normally, but the liquid gave him a nauseating feeling. It tasted like blood.

"This is weird…", he commented, raising one eyebrow.

"Oh, come on! You're a boy, aren't you? Get over it", Misato said in a mock-harsh tone.

"I am! It's just...weird, that's all", Shinji defended himself.

This just keeps getting worse, he thought. He was just shoved in a huge robot, and to crown that, it was highly uncomfortable. He could see clearly through the liquid, almost as if there was none at all, and it didn't disturb the speed of his movements, as he waved his hand in front of him. But the weird smell and taste was still there.

"Connecting main power."

"A-10 connection, normal."

At that, the bizarre colors started to morph on the wall again, going from rainbows to a storm of light particles. When it ended, the plug showed visual of the front of the EVA and its surroundings. It was impressive: it seemed like he was really looking through his own eyes. He could see the cages up ahead and the bridge where he confronted his father. A small part of him still wanted to go away and to leave NERV. But the thought of that girl piloting in that condition strengthened his resolve. Someone need to pilot it, and defeat the creature they now called an Angel.

How he would do such a thing, he didn't had a clue.

"Synchronization rate at 46.7%", Maya announced.

"Amazing", Ritsuko said, as the console showed his brain waves sync with the EVA's. The kid was a natural, she had to give him that. All that was left was to see how he would perform in combat. Sync rates probably didn't mattered on that end, as they only indicated how responsive the EVA was.

Misato smiled. "We can do this. Prepare for launch!", she ordered.

She heard the locks and bold hissing as they were disengaged from Unit-01. After the technicians checked the internal batteries and the power cable, they proceeded to move it to the ejector pad.

Shinji felt nervous as the EVA moved. Soon, he would be fighting, while receiving instruction on site. He breathed deeply, readying himself.

When the "Path clear" confirmation came, and everything was ready, Misato turned to Gendo, who was sitting with his hands in front of his face.

"Can we really do this?", she asked, more to herself than to the Commander.

"Of course. With the Angels alive, there is no future for humanity", Gendo said sternly. Fuyutsuki's held a doubtful expression, and Gendo smirked at that. "Launch authorized", he completed.

"Yes sir. EVA, launch!", Misato yelled the order.

Shinji suddenly felt the pressure of gravity pulling him down, as Unit-01 was ejected upwards at a high velocity. He held the control sticks and nervously waited for his arrival at the surface. He tried to prepare himself mentally, but gave up after realizing he had no idea of what would happen.

* * *

Sachiel, the Angel of Water, the Third Angel, strode through the city. He already had delivered his share of destruction, and now was looking for his objective, the magnetic feeling that attracted him there. He could feel it below him, like a voice, weak and fading, calling for him.

But...there was something else too. Another signal, as weak as the other, but muffled and almost imperceptible, except he could feel it approaching through the soil. He looked in its direction, and saw a hatch on the ground, which matched his size, where he could sense a clear path to the underground. It would make his task easier.

But the source of the other attraction came first. The hatch opened with sirens blazing, and suddenly, something came out, something the Angel didn't expect.

It was _grotesque_. A corruption of his kind, of his father and progenitor. The Lilin were a mere inconvenience before, but now, Sachiel decided that they should be wiped out for sure, so they could never commit such an atrocity again. The thing was the same size as him, and had the form of… something familiar, which the Angel tried to ignore. The fools were trying to match the might of Adam's spawn, apparently.

Even with its animal intelligence, Sachiel now knew how to feel insulted.

But beside the repulse, there was another feeling: the attraction. He felt drawn to the thing, almost as if it was calling for him. He could, once more, feel something familiar.

He decided to investigate, and slowly approached it. He would've done it anyway: such a thing should be destroyed immediately. Like a beast, he stalked, approaching the Evangelion, who started to move clumsily, as if it didn't had control over his own body.

* * *

"Are you ready, Shinji?", Misato asked over the comm, after Unit-01 arrive at the surface, stopping abruptly. Shinji's head jumped upward at the kick, but he recovered in no time: LCL was a good kinetic damper, according to Dr. Akagi.

It was nightfall already, and the city was dark, with the only light sources being the tactical flares spreaded throughout the city's buildings and the moonlight. He could see the Angel: he was a few hundred meters in front of him, on the same street he was, looking intently at the new arrival. "Looking" was a general term. He didn't new if the creature had eyes, with only dark holes on his face. This made him even more terrifying.

Shinji had seen the destructive power of the Angel, so he took deep breaths to calm himself. Then, he answered Misato:

"I'm ready", he said, nodding determinedly. If he panicked, he could end up dead in seconds, something that was not in his plans.

"Good. Release final locker!", Misato barked, and the boy head the hissing sound of the bolts freeing the EVA. Immediately, Unit-01 slumped forward. Shinji was now in control, even though he didn't knew how to do it.

"Shinji, concentrate in walking. Just give a mental command, the EVA will obey", Dr. Akagi explained.

"O-ok, walking", Shinji muttered, concentrating all his thoughts on moving his leg. He was surprised when he felt the EVA's left leg rise and place its feet on the ground again, with a loud thud.

The command bridge was in awe. They didn't have any idea if Unit-01 was going to work, but now, they had seen it in action. This lifted their spirits.

"He did it!", Ritsuko exclaimed. There was hope, after all.

Meanwhile, inside the plug, Shinji was getting used to the controls of the EVA. Ok, left foot, now for the right one, he thought. He concentrated again, now on his right leg, but something went wrong.

The leg stopped mid-air and wasn't lowering to the ground. He was already slumping forward again to continue the walk, so Evangelion Unit-01 started to fall to its face on the ground instead.

"Dammit!", Shinji cursed desperately. The ground was coming closer, so he instinctively raised his right arm in front of his face while using the left one to damper the fall. The EVA obeyed his command, and imitated his movements.

He landed on the ground with a crash, destroying a few unlucky cars that were still on the street. Shinji felt the impact on his arms, a fact that alarmed him. Would he feel the attacks the EVA suffered?

"Shinji, get up now!", Misato yelled. He was going fine, minus the stumble. But he had managed to protect himself from the fall, which indicated that the boy had a certain level of inconscient control over the EVA. But now, the Angel started his approach, and he was too vulnerable for her taste. If he didn't get up, it was the end for the boy.

Shinji tried, but instead of getting up, he was grabbed by a strong inflated black arm. The Angel lifted him, holding him by the head with colossal strength, until his EVA's feet didn't touch the ground anymore. The creature had a firm grip, as Shinji felt his hand tightening on his head, making it hurt immensely. With his other hand, the Angel grabbed his right arm and yanked it, the boy feeling the pain all too well: it felt like he was going to rip it off.

"Calm down, Shinji! That's not your arm!", Dr. Akagi informed him hurriedly, trying to make the boy ignore the sensations the EVA made him feel. His synchronization rate was good, but not high enough for him to be actually hurt, so he would have to bear it.

Shinji instinctively tried to do something: with his free left arm, he started to pound the Angel on the face repeatedly. He was no fighter, but it was the best he could do. The EVA was a powerful weapon, so the punches hit hard and made the creature roar in pain. But he didn't loosened the grip on Unit-01's neck and arm, trying to rip if off, or at least break it.

"The defense system is not working! We can't raise an A.T. Field!", Maya yelled desperately. The EVA was defenseless, as Shinji's punches didn't seem to faze the Angel. They could hear his screams of pain over the comm.

They heard a cracking noise, and the EVA Status Console blared with alarms. "Right arm is broken!", Aoba announced. There was nothing they could do except watch the horrifying espectacle.

Shinji vision was getting blurred, the only thing he could feel was the electric feel crossing his right arm, not being able to punch the creature anymore. He tried to follow Dr. Akagi advice. "It's not real, it's not your real arm, it's not…"

He was interrupted once again by pain, as his head started to be pounded by something heavy, some kind of energy spear that came out of the Angel's hand. He screamed once again, agony spreading in his skull repeatedly. He heard a cracking noise in front of him: his visual interface was being destroyed.

He was now starting to fade into unconsciousness, his body incapable of bearing the pain. His vision darkened, and the world started to fade away. He could hear Misato yelling his name, but it was useless. He had failed. There was nothing he could do.

When he heard the first heartbeat, a weak light blinked in front of him. That got his attention. With another beat, the light got stronger.

He felt warm. It was like someone was holding him from behind, telling him everything was going to be ok. The light was like a fire, attracting him hypnotically, and made him feel good, forgetting all the pain he had suffered. Was he dead?

The last thing he heard was a screeching roar, before he slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

The command bridge was in chaos. The reactivation codes and defibrillation weren't working: there was no way of making the EVA or it's pilot move again. Misato was screaming Shinji's name while Ritsuko could only stare, despair in her eyes.

Gendo simply waited.

Suddenly, Unit-01 reactivated. It's eyes shone brightly, and synchronization spiked up. Maya, seeing this sudden change, gasped.

"Sync rate rose to a 100.0%! But that's impossible, the pilot is inconscient!", she announced with disbelief in her voice.

Ritsuko looked at her protegé as if she was crazy. But after looking at the screen, she realized it:

"The EVA has gone berserk!", she said in awe.

Unit-01 broke its mouth restraints, showing it's purple metallic teeths. It released an terrifying roar, before raising its left hand again and punching the Angel in his face.

The strike was way more powerful than before, a fact that made the Angel shriek in pain as his facial mark was damaged. He couldn't maintain his grip os the EVA's head anymore, so he dropped it.

Unit-01 fell standing up, before raising its right foot and kicking the Angel's chest with immense strength and speed, almost like breaking a door. The creature flew backwards and fell on his back at the end of the street, destroying a few buildings in the process, while still screaming in pain.

The EVA rose its right arm: it was dangling, broke and disfigured, but within second, a bright light shone on it, and the arm was immediately repaired.

"The EVA repaired itself!", Makoto yelled to Ritsuko. Her day just kept going more unbelievable by the minute. Was this even possible? She didn't knew all the implications of a Evangelion going berserk, or even if all Evangelion Units behaved the same in those situations. Was Unit-01 the only one with these abilities? Could it be because…?

"It's advancing on the target!", the announcement cut her thoughts off. It was no time for that.

The EVA jumped an incredible distance, landing straight in to the Angel's core, cracking it a little bit. The beast tried to yank Unit-01 out of him and strike him, but the Evangelion got a strong hold of his arms, twisting and twirling them, trying to break and rip them off.

The Angel didn't miss a second: strengthening his resolve, he summoned an octagonal energy shield, making the EVA pull back with its impact, unable to breach it.

"No! As long as he has his A.T. Field up, it will be impossible for the EVA to…!"

Almost as if in response, the EVA jumped at him, standing above the shield of light, pressuring it to break. It used its hand to breach the barrier, opening a fissure, which the EVA used to force it open, with a strength that the Angel was not prepared.

Unit-01 finally destroyed it completely, and the beast was now vulnerable.

The Angel now knew fear.

Inside the command bridge, Fuyutsuki looked at the screen and calmly said: "We won".

Gendo didn't react to that.

Desperately trying to save himself, the Angel moved his arms in an attempt to force the EVA out of him, but failed: Unit-01 gripped each of his arms with its own, and using his feet to hold the beast on the ground, ripped both of the Angel's arms out. The pain was unbearable for Sachiel. He had failed. He would never see the light of his progenitor. There was nothing left for him.

But there was still a last thing he could do. One last thing to help his brethren. Even if he held no obligation with them, he held no resentment either. One between them would do it, succeed in the search for their father.

And while this grotesque imitation existed, they would be halted.

Using the last of his strength, Sachiel used his legs to jump and enwrap the EVA completely, and using his core to auto-destruct, and hopefully, destroying this aberration.

The explosion was felt even in the depths of Central Dogma. Misato looked at the screen with despair.

"Shinji!", she cried.

* * *

"Shinji!"

The boy gasped as his eyes opened. His breath was fast and uneven, and his vision was blurred by the sunlight coming from the window.

He tried to lift himself, realizing he was in a bed, but his right arm started to hurt. Instead, he put his left hand on his brow, which was covered in sweat. Gazing at his palm, he tried to remember the events of last night.

He had fought the Angel, but had lost. It wasn't a dream: he remembered everything vividly.

But how was he...alive? He remembered his defeat, and his fear of death at that moment.

His vision had adapted to the bright environment, and he could see where he was: a big white room, with his bed sideways to the door.

"An unfamiliar place", he thought, puzzled.

On his right, a heart beat monitor and a small bag with a transparent liquid, which he now realized was attached to his right arm. He remembered it being hurt and feeling a lot of pain on the member, but looking clearly now, he couldn't see any bruises or cuts. Moving his fingers, he realized there was no actual discomfort. "It's not your real arm", he remembered.

Lifting himself, he left his bed and removed the needle from his arm. He was feeling good enough, no need for that anymore.

Opening the door slowly, he left the room and entered a big hall, with walls as white as his room's. "An hospital?", he asked himself. He didn't knew NERV even had one, but looking through the window in the opposite side of his door, he could see the Geofront, its many trees and the lake.

Looking around, he saw that the hospital's halls were desert, him being the only one there. He sighed, and put his hand on the window's glass.

He now started to remember more clearly: him fighting the Angel, the shock of the pain running through his body as the creature broke his arm and pounded his head repeatedly, and the despair he felt when realizing he had lost, that he was going to die. He never felt something like that before, and wasn't eager to repeat it.

Was that what piloting the EVA meant? Suffering time after time, almost dying and hoping that a miracle would save him? It was almost like a sick joke his father had played on him.

Suddenly, he heard the sound of a door opening abruptly, and turned his head to see the source of it.

Like a deja vu, he saw a team of medical staff pushing an hospital stretcher, with a bag of some liquid hanging beside it, like there was on his room. Shinji's eyes widened: he figured that there weren't many patients on NERV's private hospital, so there was only one person that could've been carried.

As it approached, the staff ignore Shinji as if he wasn't even there, and he could see the patient: the girl he saw before the fight.

She was now in hospital clothing, with bandages still all over her arm and head, covering her eye. Shinji now could see her more clearly.

She had a delicate face, with skin almost albino-like and soft blue hair. Shinji found it odd that the girl would dye her hair, but to each his own. She looked up at the ceiling, and gave him a quick look with her red eyes, making no expression or reaction at all, as if he wasn't even there. He figured she didn't remember him, being hurt as she was.

As she passed and they entered another door, leaving him alone again, Shinji realized something: she wasn't moaning or wincing anymore. Beside her wounds as bandaged parts, she must've been recovering, and now was better than yesterday, not looking as hurt or in pain as before.

He looked at the palm of his right hand for a long time, trying to gather his thoughts.

If he hadn't piloted the EVA, she would be the one to do it. She would've lost, because even if she was trained, as he deduced, she was in too much of a bad condition to manage fighting. She would have died.

And Shinji avoided that. He took her place, and tried to fight the Angel himself, instead of her. He lost the fight, but somehow was still alive. What happened? Did they resume their airstrikes on the creature and finished it?

Whatever happened, the Angel was defeated, judging by the fact that they hadn't all died. Maybe it wasn't by his hand, but his action had saved at least one person, who was now recovering from her wounds, which he had no idea how were caused.

He hadn't ran away.

Smiling to himself, he return to his room and found his clothes: white shirt and black trousers. His watch was on the table, so he dressed and put it on. He then set out to the hospital's entrance, to try and check himself out.

Where was Misato, anyway?

* * *

Misato Katsuragi, after the nurse had told her the boy's room number, strode out in a quick pace, determined to find him as soon as possible.

They made him pilot a weapon of mass destruction, and put him against humanity's worst enemy in a question of minutes. And of course, the boy was hurt, not only physically, but probably psychologically too. Even if it wasn't her fault per se, as the boy would've been made to pilot anyway, she felt a pang of guilt within herself. She had tried to coarse him to do it, telling him he had to face adversities and be brave.

And he had almost died.

When she found the door, she stopped before opening it. She took a deep breath, and calmed herself. If she entered looking miserable, this would not help the boy's condition: she had to be responsible, and tell him that he had done a great thing.

Which was the true, she thought. He had faced the enemy, and did his best, even if in the end, the EVA defeat the Angel on its own. She didn't understand how it had happened, but this was for another time.

She opened the door, expecting to find a boy wincing in pain, looking miserable in a bed.

But she didn't.

Actually, the room was empty.

Looking at the empty bed with a surprised expression, she was struggling to understand what happened. Did he already leave the hospital? Was he checked out already? But they would've told her if he…

Her eyes widened. "No", she thought in despair.

She turned and ran to the elevator, while muttering "No, no, no…"

The boy had ran _away_. It was too much for him, and he had quickly made his way out. He was probably out of the city already, not wanting to repeat or even remember the thing they had made him do.

Honestly, she couldn't blame him. He was a fourteen year old boy, and couldn't handle it, it was too much. The fear of death, the Angel breaking his arm ar pounding his head, the unbearable pain he must've felt.

When she left the elevator, she had already brought out her cell phone, dialing Section 2's number to urge them to find him. She quickened her pace as she passed the waiting hall.

They picked up.

"Yes, Captain Katsuragi?", a masculine voice answered.

"Cut the crap, we need to find the Thir…", she stopped mid sentence as she glanced a look at the hall's window.

On the other side of the waiting chairs, stood a teenage boy with brown hair, his back turned at her. He was looking through the window, his arms on his sides. Misato stopped.

"Captain, can you repeat tha…", she flipped her phone closed, and a wave of relief passed through her.

The relief was replaced with guilt again. But now, it was because she thought so low of him: that he would run away in fear, like a coward. She kicked herself mentally. The boy was better than that.

She approached him, and when Shinji looked at her, he saw a warm smile on her face. He gave her a small smile back.

"Hey, Katsuragi-san", he said softly, but no shyness in his voice.

She snickered. "Just Misato, Shinji-kun", she responded.

They look at each other silently for a few seconds, and then Misato spoke first:

"You must be hungry after all that. Come on, let's get you some real food. This hospital stuff will kill you eventually", she said jokingly.

* * *

After a quick meal at NERV's cafeteria, Misato had one final matter to resolve: where would the boy live. It was a simple matter, of course: the boy should live with his father. It would be good for him: it seemed like they weren't close, or even liked each other, but if the lived together, maybe things would change.

Instead, she found herself screaming at the NERV Operator responsible for the boy allocation.

"What do you mean he will live alone?!", she yelled at the phone, much to the man on the other side's annoyance. "Won't he live with his father?!"

"Captain, the Commander is a busy man, and as such, has no time to care for a child. This is the most adequate solu…", he was quickly cut off by the raging woman.

"My ass it is! He shouldn't live by himself!", she screamed once more, almost damaging his hearing.

A light shined on Misato's head. She had an idea. He couldn't live alone, he was a kid, for Christ's sake!

"Then he will be living with me! Good day to you!"

"Captain, hold on a secon…", he was cut off again, this time because Misato ended the call.

Behind her, Shinji tried to appease her.

"Misato-san, don't worry about it. I'm used to living alone", he told her.

It wasn't entirely true: he was actually used to live with his uncle, but the man sometimes had to travel on work related stuff, so the boy was used to cook and live by himself, at least for a few days. He just didn't wanted to inconvenience the captain.

"Nonsense! It isn't right! You just wait a moment!", she yelled again, before turning to the phone again and dialing the numbers quite brutally. Shinji just stepped back, impressed by the Captain intensity.

"What is it, Misato?", a female voice finally answered.

"Ritsuko! You old buddy has a favor to ask", Misato announced, faking a pleading tone.

Dr. Akagi adjusted herself in her chair and rubbed her temples, preparing for the worse. Here we go, she thought.

"What do you want?", she asked, sighing.

"Shinji can't live alone, it's not good for him. Let him live with me!", Misato pleaded, with her cutest voice.

Ritsuko was surprised. She had already expected that the Commander would pilot the EVA himself before even considering living with Shinji.

She sighed again, as she knew Misato wouldn't drop the matter until she was buried and rotting. And after all, it wasn't such a bad idea, as it would be good for the boy to live with someone else. She only pitied the boy, who was now going to live with a slob called Misato Katsuragi.

"Fine, he can live with you. I'll make the arrangements. Just don't make him drink beer", she said, with a defeated tone.

"Thank you, Rits! And don't worry, I won't try to do anything naughty with him", she said with a sly smile and a snicker.

Now it was Misato who almost went deaf, as her friend screamed with indignation over the phone:

"OF COURSE NOT! Are you crazy? How old are you, twelve?! I swear to god, you…"

Misato held the phone away from her ear and gave Shinji an apologetic smile. "She can't a joke", she said whispering and laughing nervously.

Shinji snickered, a little red on his cheeks: it was a joke, of course. He had known the woman to figure out her type of humor, that being, teasing him with that kind of stuff. Now that he apparently was going to live with her, it would probably be more frequent.

A small side of him considered how would it be if Misato _did_ naughty things with him, but was quickly brushed off. "Bad Shinji", the boy kicked himself mentally.

When he looked at the woman again, she had already calmed the angry doctor and ended the call. She gave him a beaming smile and announced:

"Congratulations, Shinji-kun! From now on, you are a member of the Katsuragi household. I think you will love it!", she said proudly.

Shinji still wasn't that comfortable in invading her privacy, even if it didn't sound like the worst option.

"Are you sure, Misato? I mean, I can live by my own just fine, it's okay", he said.

She patted his head, as if to shake that idea out of it.

" As I said: nonsense! You need to live with someone! And if this someone is a dashing wonderful woman, even better for you", she answered in a teasing tone.

Yep, there will be a lot of that, Shinji thought as his cheeks flushed once again. He wasn't used to feminine interaction, much less living with one.

Misato was now with her hand on her chin, mumbling something.

"Ok, so we gotta stop for some groceries. Ain't much food left home, specially for two people. But…!", she added, now turning to Shinji. "There's a place I want to show you before we go home."

Shinji was puzzled by that. Where would she take him? He was curious, to say the least, so he simply responded: "O-okay".

Misato smiled again, then turned to leave, signaling him to follow her. This is going to be nice, she thought.

* * *

When their elevator arrived and the doors opened, Shinji was greeted to a sight that made him wince: his father was already inside, his tall figure and black clothing giving him a ominous presence.

While Misato greeted the Commander with a salute, Shinji stared at the man's eyes, who was staring him back.

For a few seconds, Shinji just stood there, looking at the man he hated, who didn't wanted anything to do with Shinji, who didn't even wanted his son to live with him. Not that he would, of course: he'd rather live on the streets.

Misato watched the scene biting a lip. It's worse than I thought, she mused. She was ready to wait for another lift when Shinji did something she didn't expect: he held the door and entered the elevator.

The woman looked in surprise for a few seconds, before quickly entering behind the boy and finding a place to stood beside him. The Commander with his back turned to them, not moving a muscle.

The entire ride was silent and uncomfortable, and if stares could kill, Gendo Ikari would be already dead, as Shinji glared at the man's back now and then, with an serious expression.

When the Commander reached his floor, he silently left the elevator, leaving the boy and the Captain alone.

If Gendo could describe that situation with a word, it would be "satisfactory".

It seemed that his son wasn't a coward, after all.

* * *

After his experience with Misato's driving, it was surprising to see her actually following the law and not exceeding the speed limit, instead conducting the car at a slow pace on the mountain side road.

They had visited a grocery store and bought some food and drinks, to which Shinji had mixed feelings about: on his lap lied the paperbag with their shopping, consisting in beer and instafood. He had scratched his head, but assumed it was just something to kill the hunger when there was nothing else to eat. She had to have real food at home, he thought.

"Shinji-kun, are you ok? Does it still hurt somewhere?", Misato asked, concerned at the pensive expression the boy held.

"Huh?", Shinji mumbled in a distracted way. "Oh, sorry Misato, just thinking about some stuff", he answered, not eager to reveal his concern about the Captain's food habits.

She smirked, also without revealing her concern about the boy. He seemed all right, but she had a thing to show him: something that would lift his spirits, temporarily brought down by his silent standoff with the Commander.

She saw the lookout up ahead, and started to pull over. "We're here", she announced.

Shinji noticed where they were, and left the car, closing the door behind him. The handle was a bit busted by the angel attack, but Misato instructed him to put strength when pushing the door, so it would close properly.

Misato was already at the lookout, and the boy approached her, standing at the woman's side.

The view was engulfed by orange light: the sun was setting, already hiding behind the mountains on the opposite side. Below them, he could see the city, a series of buildings sprawled throughout the lowlands of Tokyo-3.

Shinji sighed. "Looks a bit gloomy", he said. It was a nice view, anyway, so he tried to not sound so uninterested.

"It is, isn't it?", she answered, before turning to him. "What time do you have?"

Shinji looked at his golden wristwatch, which was still working perfectly. "17:58. Why?", he asked, confused by the question.

She smiled. " Wait and see."

He complied, and after a couple of minutes, started to get impatient. "Misato, what are yo…"

He was interrupted by a blaring sound coming from below. He turned to see the source, and found out that it was coming from all over the place, like a citywide alarm.

Before he could question Misato, he saw: like pillar coming from the ground, buildings started to rise, and the city took a more jaw dropping and impressive form. The most advanced city on the world, a bastion of defense and technology.

Shinji stared at it, eyes wide. He had seen the buildings briefly, when he arrived at Tokyo-3, but now, seeing them in their full glory, he was in awe.

"This is the city you saved, Shinji", Misato said, joining him in his watch.

Shinji had his doubts about that: he only pilot the EVA briefly, and failed at it, for the matter.

But the way Misato said those word struck a chord in his heart. Misato had explained to Unit-01 had moved on its own and killed the Angel, but if it wasn't for him, it wouldn't even had moved. _He_ did his best, and because of it, the city was saved. Not only that strange girl, but thousands of people too.

"You piloted it because you had courage. And now, we got to see another day because of you", she continued, before turning to him and putting a hand on his shoulder, looking him in the eyes with a warm smile.

"I'm proud of you, Shinji", she said.

Shinji gasped internally at this, turning to the woman with a surprised expression. He gave another look at the city, its orange glow fading into the night. For a moment, he turned his gaze to his left hand, the hand with which he had fought and struggled against a enemy more powerful than anything anyone had seen before. The hand that did a good thing today.

He smiled softly. "Thank you, Misato-san", he responded.

* * *

"How is the situation with the Angel's remain and the Test Type Evangelion, Ikari?", the ominous monolith with the words " SEELEE 01 - SOUND ONLY" asked, an authoritarian tone in his voice, as always.

Gendo Ikari held his hand in front of his face, as was customary, no expression or emotion on his face. The room was completely black, the only source of light coming from below his desk and from the twelve monoliths around him. A futile attempt of intimidation.

The Old Men had called him on a meeting for the first time in months: the arrival of the Angel had startled them up, as he expected. Not in a bad way, per se, as they had expected this moment for a long time.

Gendo adjusted himself on his seat. These meetings were a mere formality, as in the end, SEELEE had its own agenda, and the only thing expected from the Commander was the extermination of the spawn of Adam, commonly known as the Angels. They were only an obstacle that had to be surpassed, and while they lived, the Human Instrumentality Project would be delayed. They trusted that task to Ikari. For now.

"The remains of the Third Angel are sparse, as he self destructed in an attempt to destroy Unit-01, and not many samples survived. As for the Evangelion itself, its being repaired as we speak, having taken damage of the head plate and arms. We expect it to be ready for combat in less two days", the Commander answered, like a faithful dog. He had to play his role, naturally.

For now.

"Are you sure you are prepared to face the Fourth Angel, Ikari? Seems like your schedule is falling behind", SEELEE 03 asked, his french accent slipping through the voice modulator: a vain attempt at concealing their identities. Gendo had data on almost all of the members of the committee, including its de facto leader: SEELEE 01, or Keel Lorenz, from Germany. The data could prove useful in the future, but for now, roles were meant to be played.

"I have no concerns about that, and neither should you worry. The Angels will be defeated, and the Project will succeed", Gendo simply responded. There was no time for suspicion.

"You say that, but a few here have their own doubts about your loyalty to Instrumentality. Don't forget NERV's true objective, the one which aligns with our own. To betray us is a fate worse than death, Commander", SEELEE 11 added sternly.

"My intentions are the same as SEELEE, and NERV will play its part, as the Dead Sea Scrolls describe. Don't insult me with petty distrust", Gendo retorted.

"Yes, but…", SEELEE 09 started, but was interrupted by Lorenz.

"Enough", he said, with a commanding voice. The other went quiet. "The time for rebirth is getting closer, Ikari. As you say, we expect you to play your part, and to not hesitate for a second. Prepare yourself for the arrival of Shamshel. We will do our part. This meeting is adjourned", he finished.

"Very well", Gendo responded.

The monoliths disappeared, and the lights went on, revealing a big green room, used for the meetings. The Commander stood up and walked to the door, where Fuyutsuki waited.

"How did it went?", he asked.

"As we presumed", Gendo answered. "The Old Men are always suspicious. They worked their entire lives for the goal of Instrumentality. It is to be expected."

He adjusted his glasses as he left the room, the Sub-Commander following him.

"It's time for us to move our pieces. If we don't, they will be one step ahead of us. We cannot let that happen, or everything we worked on will be for nothing", Gendo added.

"Speaking of pieces, is Operation N on its way?", Fuyutsuki asked, raising a brow.

"Of course", Gendo answered, smiling. "In a few months, we will have the Key. Then, the finals steps of our work will be on our grasp."

* * *

"Shinji-kun, why are you standing there?", Misato asked, seeing the boy hesitancy to enter the apartment.

"I'm Misato-san, I really don't feel that comfortable prying into your privacy like that", the boy said, with an apologetic look.

Misato threw her arms in the air.

"Still with that? I said it before, Shinji, this is your home now! Now hop in!", she said cheerfully. The boy was too polite for his own good.

Shinji looked at the at the partition below the door, as if it was some kind of frontier. Then, he sighed, and stepped in.

"I'm home", he said, with a small smile.

"Damn right you are", Misato said back, patting his shoulder.

Entering the apartment, she turned a curve and entered another room, while shouting to him:

"Can you please put that of the fridge? Thank you!", she sorta-asked him.

The boy was eager to get rid of the paper bag he carried on his arms, so he entered the living room, looking for the fridge. What he saw made him stop dead on his tracks.

 _Piles_ upon _piles_ of trash and beers cans were littered around the apartment, making it like a garbage disposal site. How did she lived in a place like that? It was an impressive amount of trash, considering she had told him she had moved in not long ago.

Making his way through the mountains of cans, he opened the fridge. There was nothing inside it.

"Huh. Weird", he whispered, and then noticed a bigger fridge, close to this one. When he opened it, another surprise.

"There's just...beer. And insta food", he observed with disbelief in his voice. How did that woman was even alive?

He put the groceries in the fridge, and looked around him: there was no way he could live like that. He would have to clean it up.

Shinji groaned. He would groan three more times that night.

Later, when Misato came back, she was surprised to see all the garbage gone, a tired Shinji carrying a plastic trash bag out.

"Thanks, Shinji-kun! I was planning to clean up myself, but you know how it is, work and all that", she said with an bright expression.

Oh, sure, Shinji tought. Judging by the state of the place, it would be a place of birth for a new type of life before she lifted a finger to do something.

The, it was time to decide who was doing what around the apartment.

After a few minutes, an indignant Shinji accused Misato:

"That's impossible, you are cheating!", Shinji exclaimed. There was no way he was that bad at Rock-Scissor-Paper, right?

He already had most of the tasks of the house, including, but not limited to: cleaning, laundry, taking the trash out, etc. Misato got cooking.

The woman lifted her finger, with a victorious look on her face.

"No such thing as skill in this game, Shin-chan! It's only a matter of luck, and it seems the gods smiled at me today", she said mid laughter.

Shinji groaned.

As they finished that, it was time for dinner. Misato, being responsible for that part of the domestic tasks, presented Shinji to the house's specialty: microwaved ramen.

The boy looked at it, still not believing she ate that everyday. But, not wanting to be disrespectful, started to eat, taking an immense amount of resilience to even swallow.

While he struggled, Misato took a beer from the fridge, before sitting at the table and starting to drink it. Shinji was not even surprised anymore.

After ten seconds of gulping the drink non-stop, Misato slammed the empty can on the table, giving a loud and satisfied schriek.

"Ahhhhh, life doesn't get better than this!", she said happily, and then noticed the boy in front of her with a look of disbelief.

"Oh, come on, what's with that look?!", she yelled, as she leaned forward and grabbed his head, shaking it. "All you do is fuss over this kind of stuff!"

"Hey, stop that! I just think it's messed up to drink like this!", he explained, trying to release her grip on his head. His uncle had a couple of beer sometimes, but he was nothing compared to the woman in front of him. It was almost inhuman.

Releasing his head, she shot him a sly grin.

"Hah! I bet you just want a can for yourself. You're jealous!"

"I'm not! I can't even drink that stuff! I'm underage, in case you don't remember", he said, as if the facts didn't crossed her mind.

"Hmm, so you don't want a sip, huh? Are you afraid? Come on, kid, don't be such a prude!", she said, challenging him.

To be honest, he had been curious about it. He always saw grown ups drinking it, and talking about it as if it was the best thing in the world.

The look on Misato's face didn't help. He sighed.

"Fine, give me that", he said, defeated, as Misato laughed at his hesitancy.

A minute and a quick sip later, Shinji was spitting and cleaning his mouth. How did people drink that stuff?!

Misato now was laughing harder.

Shinji groaned once more.

Then, it was time to take a bath. Misato waved at him, telling him to go first.

As he removed his clothes and prepare to enter the shower, he glanced at the many underwears hanging on the dryer. Living with a woman would take time to get used to. A part of him enjoyed the sight, but the other kicked him on the ribs and told him to get on with it.

As he opened the door to the shower, he noticed something below him, right at the foot of the door.

It was a black and white thing, the size of a big bird, with some kind of orange crown of fur, above a yellow beak. The thing raised its head and looked at him, its eyes piercing through his soul.

The thing had eyes.

Misato only heard a loud scream, before a scared for his life Shinji opened the dining room's door. Completely naked.

"M-misato! There's something in the bathroom, a creature or some monst…", he mumbled, desperate.

"Oh, it's just Pen-Pen!", she said, as the "thing" made its way to where they were, startling Shinji. "He's a genetic experiment, a warm water penguin. They were going to euthanize him, but I felt bad and adopted him!", she explained, as if it was the most common thing in the world.

The penguin raised his head, and looked at Shinji in the eyes. It looked like it was looking into his soul, judging if he was even worth of standing beside him.

Shinji just backed into the wall, scared.

Deciding the boy was worthy, the penguin walked to the smaller fridge, and before closing it, gave Shinji a last severe glare.

The boy put his hand on his accelerated heart, trying to find his bearings, before Misato cleared her throat.

"Hm, Shinji…?", she said, pointing to something below him.

The boy looked down, and realized he was naked. With a gasp, he closed the door, hiding himself in shame, his cheeks flushing furiously. He only heard Misato bursting into laughter.

Shinji groaned for the last time.

* * *

Misato enjoyed the warm water around her body, cleaning her of any stress or worry. It was one of her most prized pleasures, and she thanked everyday whatever god existed for the inclusion of a bath on the apartment she was given.

Her thoughts turned to Shinji, the new pilot and her new roomate. The boy who was terribly fun to tease, being too polite and shy for her taste. But even so, he had some backbone, and stepped up to the challenges that were thrown at him. She didn't lie when she said she was proud of him: he did something unthinkable, and had saved them all.

She knew it was probably not in his nature to boast and get cocky. He would probably brush off the compliments, saying "Thank you", as if it was nothing. He was nice and friendly, was the savior of Tokyo-3, and was braver than he thought. And boy, was he fun to tease.

She would pity him the day he went to school: the girls wouldn't even give him time to breath.

* * *

Shinji, after his bath, stayed on the kitchen, mentally making a list of groceries that were actually edible: he wouldn't survive under Misato's cooking.

Slumping on the chair, he took a good look around: all in all, it was a good place. It seemed comfortable, and had all the utensils he needed on the kitchen, even if they were barely used as of now. He preferred his old house, of course, but it could be worse.

Then, he saw a telephone attached to the wall. Something clicked on him: he hadn't made a call to his uncle yet.

Rising from the table, he made his way to the object, grabbed it and started to dial.

* * *

"So are you ok?", Akira asked the boy, concerned.

"Yes, uncle. I was in the hospital for a day, but got released today. My arm was hurting a bit, but it's fine now. Just superficial", the boy explained on the other side of the line.

"Thank god. I would've felt bad if you were hurt badly", he gave a small laugh. He lied: he already felt bad by letting the kid go to Gendo. But there was nothing he could do about.

"Did you meet you father?", he asked, somewhat hesitantly.

Silence.

Akira sighed. "Didn't went well, I suppose."

"No. He just dragged me here to pilot that thing. Nothing more", he said, anger slipping in his voice.

"Yeah, they called me when you got hospitalized, and explained the situation. I don't know what Gendo was thinking", Akira said, gloomy. He already knew what his brother wanted when he sent the letter.

It was part of the plan, after all. But it didn't make it easier.

"He doesn't care. For him, i'm just some tool to be used. He just shoved me inside it. I was so scared, but…", Shinji stopped mid sentence.

Akira noticed the boy was thinking. He knew his nephew, and waited.

"...Misato told me they are proud of me. That I saved the entire city. Even indirectly, I saved people that I don't even know", the boy said, his thoughts momentarily drifting off to the blue haired girl he saw earlier. "So I guess...it's okay."

Akira smiled. "That's good, Shinji. I'm proud of you too."

He heard a snicker on the other side. "Thanks, uncle."

Akira cleared his throath.

"So...who's Misato?", he asked, the name not slipping his attention

"Uh, she's my new guardian. I'll be living with her from now on", he answered. Then, like a whisper, he told him in a low voice, as if trying to not be heard. "Honestly, she's kind of a slob."

The man snickered at that, but the something stirred up in his mind.

"Wait, Misato? Misato Katsuragi?", he asked, with curiosity in his words.

"Uh, yeah. Do you know her?", the boy asked. Did his uncle and new guardian already met?

Akira laughed. "Well, not exactly. I got an old friend who always talks about her, that's all", he explained.

"Oh, ok", Shinji said. Small world, I suppose, he thought. "Listen uncle, Misato got out of the bath, now she's nagging me to go to sleep. I gotta go."

"That's ok, kid. Call me when you have free time. Keep me updated and all that", he responded.

"Okay. Good night, uncle."

"Good night, Shinji."

The boy ended the call, and went straight to his room, Misato shoving him inside. "You're tired, gotta recharge the batteries", she said.

Entering his room, he found that all his stuff was already there. So he simply changed into his night clothes, placed his golden watch on the table beside his bed, and lied in it.

Looking at the ceiling, he couldn't help but think: "Another unfamiliar place."

But it was his home now, and he had all intentions of getting used to the place. Even if her roommate was a lazy drunk, she wasn't so bad. Misato was nice, he liked her.

Misato wished him goodnight through the door, and he responded, before drifting to sleep.

* * *

Akira Rokubungi put his cellphone on his pocket, as he walked the streets, searching for a particular bar. He was glad the kid was okay, and got concerned when learning he was in the hospital. But he seemed fine now, over the phone, talking about the things he had done.

The man was truly proud of the boy.

When he found the place he was looking for, he entered it, the bell above the door dinging.

The bar was full of people: it was nighttime, so a lot of the local young people and workers gathered there for a drink. It was an ancient place, more like a pub, with a lot of wooden furniture and a vintage feel to it.

It was charming, though.

He glanced at the tables close to the walls opposite to the door, and saw who he wanted to find. He made his way to the table, and sit down.

"You're late", the dark haired woman said, with a severe tone.

"Sorry, my nephew called to give an update on the situation", he explained, smiling.

The woman analysed him. "So I assume the child piloted it and survived", she said.

"Indeed, he did. The report I got says he lost consciousness mid fight, and the EVA finished the fight on its own", Akira continued.

The woman put a hand on her chin. "Could it be that…?"

"Yes, I assumed as much", Akira cut her off quickly.

"Hm. Touchy subject, Rokubungi-san?", she asked mockingly.

Akira laughed. "I suppose it is, Izumi-senpai", he mocked back. He took the subject lightly, but to hear that name was something he didn't need right now.

He changed the subject.

"So, how was your trip? Getting to this town in the middle of nowhere must have been paradise for you", the man asked.

Izumi Nakano huffed. "I've been in worse. Working for the Minister of Interior Affairs takes you to a lot of hellholes."

"Oh, I know, believe me."

"Nonsense. You've been here with the kid for years. The minister only calls you once in a while. You're pratically on vacation".

"What can I say? I'm housebroken", he answered, smiling.

The woman saw the waitress passing by, and waved at her.

"Waitress two beers, please", she asked.

Akira snickered as the woman in uniform approached. "I don't usually drink, you know."

"Doesn't matter", she said.

They resumed the conversation as they waited for the drinks.

"I presume they didn't track you?", Akira asked.

"I'm not that dumb. Right now, I'm in an meeting room in Fukushima, discussing alternative power measures for smaller towns", she answered, pretending to be insulted.

"Smart enough", he praised her. "So, if you came to see me, i assume it has started?", he asked, with a serious tone.

"Almost. There's a few left to visit. Won't be me doing it, of course: it would be suspicious if I suddenly traveled to Germany and the United States in the course of a week", she explained.

"Fair enough. I was getting anxious, you know?", Akira said, with a small smile.

"Don't get hasty. It will kill you rather fast", she warned him. "But yes, it's time. The Third Angel has appeared, and the Instrumentality project has begun, as you may know. It was only SEELEE before, but your dear brother has also been working on it for years."

Akira went quiet at that. After a few seconds, recomposed.

"My brother...is a lost case, unfortunately. Now we will have to deal with him, besides the Old Men."

Izumi didn't mock that. As much as the Commander of NERV Japan was a bastard, he was Akira's brother. She understood his pain.

"We'll stop them. We are prepared", she simply said.

Akira took a deep breath.

"I hope we are."

The waitress got back with their drinks, putting them on the table and leaving.

At that, Izumi grabbed a small plastic container from her pocket. From it, she removed two small transmitters, and discretely put each one on both drinks. She glanced at Akira.

"There's no going back, you know?", she dared him.

Akira sighed and gave her a sad smile.

"There's nowhere to get back to", he said.

They both drank their beers. The dispositive which was inside them now served as a vital sign transmitter. If the person died, all of his or hers data on the Plan would be deleted, a way of avoiding the discovery of other operatives. It was efficient enough for their need of secrecy, Akira thought.

They lowered their cups, and looked at eachother.

"Be prepared, Agent Rokubungi", Izumi said as she lifted from the table. "Protocol WILLE is now active".

* * *

 **TO BE CONTINUED**

 **Author's notes:** So…

Yeah.

Also: I consider this chapter to be badly written, as most of it was written on my phone (my PC died).

It was a hellish experience, one I do not intent to repeat.


	3. Another Brick on the Wall

**Disclaimer: I do not own Neon Genesis Evangelion or The Rebuild of Evangelion.**

 **NEON GENESIS**

 **EVANGELION: SUBSTANCE**

 **Episode 3:**

" **Another Brick on the Wall"**

* * *

" **Combat Holographic Simulation ready, activating A10 connection"** , Maya Ibuki told Dr. Akagi, who was standing on her side. She was sitting in front of the console localized in a purposely dark room, to see the simulation with more precision, as the hologram worked poorly in bright places. Dr. Akagi had just lit a cigarette, puffing a cloud of smoke which annoyed the young woman a little bit: her senpai's habits were none of her concern, but she was worrying for her health. When she voiced her concerns before, the doctor just brushed her off, saying that the "damage was already done".

On the screen, she could see Shinji inside the plug looking ahead at the simulation: an almost perfect replica of Tokyo-3, except for some odd lighting and textures. It wasn't like they were expending a fortune in a simple Combat Test. NERV's funding was already scarce as it was.

The expression on the boy's face got the attention of both her and the doctor: while he didn't look happy about being there, he held a determined expression, and showed himself curious about the simulation details. Dr. Akagi explained how it would work:

"We will send you combat simulations based on the data we got from the Angel attack. Your objective is, obviously, to destroy the enemy with the least amount of time and casualties possible. Of course, the EVA's integrity takes priority, so a few losses are acceptable", Ritsuko said over the comm.

Shinji was uncomfortable with the doctor comment, but Misato, who was standing right behind her at some distance, shuddered at her friend's coldness. She couldn't even say she knew the faux-blonde woman well anymore, not seeing her that much since college. People change, she thought.

But it was a fight for humanity's survival, so she let that slip. Misato simply leaned her back on the wall behind her for comfort, while the simulation began.

"How are you feeling, Shinji?", the doctor asked, sucking on the cigarette butt.

"Uh, I'm getting used to it, I guess," he answered meekly. The boy didn't resist when they told him he was expected to pilot again, just sighed and complied.

"Have you memorized all the EVA emergency points, power junctions, weapon placements and recovery zones?"

The kid had showed himself talented when piloting Unit-01, but that was only half of the job: if he didn't knew how to behave in combat, he was as good as dead. Discipline was needed, and knowledge of the battlefield was an important aspect. Luckily, the Angel choose to attack them in their own ground, something the Commander was sure it was going to be repeated on the next attack.

The boy frowned, trying to remember what the doctor had explained to him.

"Most of it, yeah. The emergence power cables are located away from the deploy zones, same as the weapon placements. It forms something like a circle on the city, right?", he asked, as he remembered.

It made sense, he thought. The power cables provided the Evangelion's energy in case the original had been cut. Since it was crucial for the Unit, the doctor had theorized that the Angels could understand that and try to cut the cable willingly, so they were placed in safer spots throughout the city, but not far enough so the emergency power would fail.

"Hm, good job, Shinji. That's correct", Dr. Akagi praised him. "Let's begin the simulation."

The plug's walls started to morph in a storm of lights and colors once again, Shinji already used to it. After a few seconds, a projection of Tokyo-3 appeared in front of him once again.

It was convincing, the boy thought. Almost too convincing.

He didn't knew how to feel about piloting again. The pain he felt, while not really hurting him, had left a scar: he could still remember the sensations, his head being pounded, his arm breaking, and the electric sensations he felt all over his body, making him fade into unconsciousness. He had been having nightmares about it on the last few days: about fighting that monster, being ripped apart and unable to move a finger to do anything.

And Misato dying, followed by his uncle. Everybody would die, if the Angels defeated NERV.

When he thought about that part of the nightmare, he was unable to refuse, to run away from the EVA. If he didn't pilot it, that was his future: to watch the people he cared about dying, followed by his own death.

So he piloted it.

Meanwhile, a shadow appeared in front of him. It was the same size as the EVA's, and had a black and white body, wearing a mask over his face. The Third Angel, the creature he had lost against, before Unit-01 activated itself on its own and defeated it.

Shinji shuddered at the sight. He didn't had good memories about the battle, after all.

"Initiate Induction mode", Ritsuko ordered.

Immediately, the EVA's power time-limit started to count, and Shinji raised the rifle which he held. There was no iron sight, but they explained to him about the Evangelion auto-aim system. It would automatically calculate the rotation and bullet drop, making it easier for the boy to shoot and hit the target.

Shinji aimed at the Angel. Above his head, floated a name: SACHIEL. He didn't knew the Angel's designation, but the choice was appropriate, kinda.

The school he used to frequent had Religious Studies, so he learned a bit about christianism, including the Bible and Angel nomenclature. It was a good school, even if he didn't had many friends because of his shy and reserved nature. The people there were nice enough, and didn't disturb or bully him, so it wasn't that bad.

Shinji shrugged those thoughts away, and focused on his current task.

The Angel was just standing there, waiting to be shot down. Sachiel, the Angel of Water, or so did his teacher told him. This made Shinji feel weird: the true one would be advancing on him, or trying to deflect the bullets.

The boy feared what the supposed next Angel would be, but figured that, if he was going to keep piloting, he would be better off training so the enemy wouldn't simply pummel him to death in the first two seconds of the fight. And as of now, the simulation didn't seem to help that much in regard of melee combat.

But he complied anyway. It was just a test, to train his aim with the pallet rifle, an EVA sized weapon. The two reticles started to approach each other, symbolizing the gun's barrel aligning with the target. When the EVA's aim system beeped and the symbol became green, Shinji squeezed the trigger.

The recoil got the boy by surprise. The gun cocked up as it fired the first volley of bullets were shot, flying over the angel's head. He had missed, by far.

"Shinji, try to stabilize your aim. The recoil might be strong, but you'll get used to it", Ritsuko told him, understanding that the boy didn't had any previous experience with firearms, much less EVA equipment.

Shinji complied, and kept trying to adjust his aim under the doctor tutelage. After a few minutes he managed to hit the target, sighing in relief for his success. He wanted to make the most of it, if only to get used to the Evangelion.

Of course, if he had his way, there would be no more enemies for him to fight against, no more monstrosities invading the city. But he had a feeling that those wishes were not going to be granted, so he tried his best, even with the difficulty of the task.

On the Simulation Center, Misato watched as the boy kept shooting and destroying the targets, one after another. Over the minutes the boy had succeeded, he already had gotten the grasp of it.

But of course, it was just a simulation. If what the Captain knew about the Angels was true, the next one would be even more alien and powerful, something that they had to account for. The Third Angel was mighty, but he was basically a being of brute force, and she shuddered at the thought of even more powerful enemies that would come.

She remembered the First. How gigantic and terrifying it was, a being of light that had the capability of destroying all the human race. He had been stopped, somehow, but the consequences of his appearance were felt until this very day on the whole world: billions of dead, refugees crying for help, without home or family to get back to, not to mention the wars that succeeded the incident that was the Second Impact.

Misato brushed her hand upward on her chest, feeling the long scar that day marked on her memory with fire had given her. Then, she touched her cross necklace, hanging on her neck. She squeezed it, and silently remembered the promise she had made to herself.

In front of her, Dr. Ritsuko Akagi and Maya Ibuki watched as Shinji kept shooting the Angel's simulation, which reappeared one after another upon the last one's death. The boy had an intent look on his eyes, definitely paying attention to the doctor's instructions, and getting better at the task he was performing.

Ritsuko put her hand on her chin, staring at the screen. The boy was an odd one: when he arrived, he seemed like he was intent on not piloting. It didn't seemed like it was out of cowardice, and she couldn't blame him if it was: they had just told him that he would have to pilot a gigantic technological weapon and fight against the greatest enemy mankind ever had.

But it wasn't fear, for the most part: it was indignation. Indignation with his father, someone that had turned his back on the boy, abandoning him a long time ago, and only calling when he was need. Shinji must've felt like some kind of tool, just to be used and then discarded.

It was childish, obviously: there were thing at stake much bigger than a boy's whining. The future of the human race was at stake, and, of course, the future of the Project.

Even so, his reasons for deciding to pilot were not entirely clear to Ritsuko. Gendo had his trump: using Rei, a hurt and defenseless… "girl" to convince the boy to do as he asked. Making the boy feel guilty, he had succeeded in acquiring a pilot. And so Shinji did, fighting the Angel, and getting hurt and almost killed in the process. After that, the doctor had expected the boy to run away and hide himself in the darkest hole he could find. But he didn't, and that sparked the woman's curiosity.

Shinji's psychological evaluation over the years showed that he was a shy and quiet boy, and that much was obvious: she wasn't very impressed with him upon first meeting, but had liked him to a certain degree: he was polite and spoke his mind, at least.

The report she had been given told her that he was raised by a person called Akira Rokubungi, apparently related to Gendo, but to which level, she didn't knew. This man had cared for the boy, taking the role as his father figure over the years, but that didn't mean that the kid was completely normal: being without parents was a hard experience, she knew that much, even if she didn't felt too deeply about her own parents, specially her mother.

Even if the kid had a "father", growing up without a mother and having his own father turning his back on him was probably hard on the boy, scarring him emotionally. But, as it turned out, Shinji could be meek, quiet and sometimes childish, but he didn't seem like a coward. He would pilot, for the time being.

Maya Ibuki was probably thinking about the same subject, as she stared at the screen with an worried expression while analyzing the data the simulation provided.

"I'm surprised that Shinji agreed to pilot again", she said to Ritsuko, standing by her side on the dark room.

Ritsuko crossed her arms, reflecting upon the question.

"So am I. I thought he wouldn't do it after the battle. Even if he wasn't really hurt, it must've been a painful experience for a child", Ritsuko responded, still in thought.

Her protégé turned to the screen again, analyzing the boy's face and the conflicting expression he wore: he was obviously not happy to be there, but he still kept shooting the targets obediently.

"I mean, I'm glad he did. If he didn't, we would be already dead. I just don't… get it", Maya added, sighing at her incapability to understand the situation.

"He resents his father deeply, and I believed he wouldn't pilot just to spite him. But something changed when he saw Rei in that state, I suppose", the doctor said, more to herself than to the younger woman. Was the kid just that manipulable? He barely knew Rei, and upon seeing her hurt, almost jumped inside the EVA. But deep down, she knew his reasons weren't as simple as hormones taking action, the simple instinct of protecting a vulnerable female. She heard the boy muttering a phrase to himself before piloting, but she couldn't understand it. Some kind of mantra, perhaps.

But it got him to pilot, so it didn't mattered. There were more pressing questions as of now on Ritsuko's mind.

Like the EVA activating itself.

There wasn't anyone in the world who knew more about the Evangelions than Ritsuko Akagi, but that didn't mean much: there was many hidden secrets within Project E, but many were unknown even to her.

She had a basic idea of how Unit-01 did that, but she prefered to not think about that possibility.

So Ritsuko Akagi lied to herself, as she did many times before.

Misato listened to her coworkers' conversation, noticing a surprised tone in their voices. This fact amused her: she knew the kid was more capable than it looked, and even now, she could see in his expression a driven will to actually learn and acquire experience on piloting. She, like Ritsuko, wasn't sure about his real reasons for piloting, but she noticed how he had brightened up when she said she was proud of him for saving everyone. Maybe he just wanted praise? The captain somehow doubted that: it wasn't like him.

He seemed like a kid who, even not having many close relations, would go to the end of the world for those he cared about. She knew about his former guardian, his uncle, and noticed that Shinji looked up to him as if he was his own father. He told her how the man had gifted him his golden watch, and the boy treasure the gift as if it was the most precious thing in the world.

He must be a good man, she thought. Then, snickered as a quick thought ran through her mind: Shinji told her that the man was only a few years older than her, and he seemed like a kind, polite and caring person. She should ask Shinji to introduce him to her: it would be quite the contrast with her previous relationship history. She kicked herself mentally after a few seconds.

Ritsuko was apparently satisfied with the boy's performance with the Pallet rifle, so she turned on the speaker connected to the entry plug:

"That's good, Shinji. You did a fine job with the rifle. Now, we have a few more weapons we need to get you used to it, fresh from the RD Department. I hope you're excited", she told him, expecting a reaction from Shinji. Kids these days loved military stuff, and the chance to actually use some of them should excite a teenage boy as much as a shady magazine.

Shinji sighed. He was certainly _not_ that much interested in guns and military apparatus, and was tired of these simulations.

It made sense: he didn't look like the type. Shinji seemed to be more of a calm person, judging by his behavior and his reported hobbies: reading, playing cello, listening to music while going home or hiking around the quiet small town he grew up on. But Ritsuko still had a card up her sleeve.

"Sure, Dr. Akagi", he said, dismissively. He wasn't interested in any kind of weapon or gadget she could give him. He just wanted to go home and get a shower after the sync tests he had all day.

Ritsuko smiled. "The next weapon will an EVA Adapted Gatling Gun. Have fun", she told him.

Shinji's eyes widened, and the tiniest spark of curiosity grew inside of him.

Maybe this was going to be interesting, after all.

* * *

Rei Ayanami opened her eyes and stared at the grey dirty ceiling. The same ceiling she woke up to ever since she could remember, maybe since her birth, and the same she would wake up to until she ceased to exist.

From the window on the right side of her bed, the morning lights started to invade her bedroom, making it possible to observe every detail of the place.

Rei Ayanami never cared about cleaning up the small apartment she lived in: there was no point. Her life condition didn't matter, and neither did she care about it, as the only purpose of the place for her was a place to sleep and to avoid any questions. It would be more practical if she stayed inside NERV, as it would be a more efficient place for her to perform her tasks: pilot the EVA, and report to Doctor Akagi for monthly evaluation. These were her only duties, and her only purpose. She didn't need any other.

Even so, Commander Ikari ordered her to live there, in an apartment located close to a construction site, a part of the town which was almost abandoned. The city council had given up populating that area, since it wasn't adequate for the general planning of the fortress city of Tokyo-3: nobody wanted to live there. Because of that, it was turning into an industrial area, filled with the sounds and noises of countless machines and builders working like flies, every day, all day. She could see them below, when she rarely looked through the window.

Rei Ayanami was used to it, as she was supposed to. If the Commander judged this was the best place for her to live, then she would obey.

Lifting herself, she sat on the bed, looking down to her own nude body: with her pale skin and light blue hair, she was often looked upon with a mixture of disdain, curiosity and deep interest by her classmates and whoever met her. She understood that for a male her body proportions and facial features would be considered attractive: she started to notice when some of the boys in her class would stare at her intently when they thought she wasn't looking, and when she turned to them to ask if they needed something, they would get flustered and deny the question, looking at her cautiously.

Fear and desire mixed together. How curious.

Almost camouflaged against her pale complexion, the white bandages on her arm and head had gotten noticeably dirty and torn apart. Dr. Akagi instructed her to change them every couple of days, before handing her a medicine she was supposed to take after waking up and before she would lie down to sleep. She obeyed.

Getting off the bed, she remove the wraps around her arms and head, disposing them on the ground, where a pile of the white tissue was already starting to form. Most of them were bloody from the accident a few weeks back, but it didn't hurt anymore, and her injuries had recovered quite well. A few more days she would be operational again, with the help of Dr. Akagi, of course.

Walking towards the small bathroom, she stood before the mirror and gazed upon her own figure: her head still had sign of concussion and a few sore spots, making her use the bandages until ordered. Her arm was the same, with dark spots all over it, which hurt when pressure was applied.

She noticed a small cut on her forearm: probably a wound that reopened when she was asleep. A single small drop of blood went down to her hand, dripping on the ground and staining the floor with a red spot.

Red. The color she hated.

Ever since she could remember, there was something strange inside her. She could feel it all the time, everywhere she went, and her only choice was to ignore it. It was a strange feeling on her flesh, in her mind, in her being, something that disturbed her in the depths of her thought.

It was like she wasn't herself. Like she didn't belong to herself. Her arms, her legs, her head, her blood, her flesh: it was all like a distant memory, or like someone's memory of someone else. It was like she didn't belong to herself. Like she didn't had the right to live.

Rei Ayanami was not stupid or uneducated: the Commander provided all the knowledge she was supposed to know, including anatomy, and had clear knowledge of her body and her origins.

It didn't make it easier to bear. She never voiced her concerns to Dr. Akagi. She would just brush it off, like aways.

A strange woman, Dr. Akagi. Always hiding behind a facade, always seeming unpleased with something. Rei's presence didn't help, and even made the doctor's mood worse.

Rei didn't understand the doctor's behavior, so she kept the distance, not wanting to disturb her but always being polite and respectful. But if she could muster the words to describe her, she would use "confused".

She ignored these thoughts, washing the blood on the sink. Then, went to her wardrobe and picked one of the many uniforms she owned, all exactly the same: a single white and blue piece, with a shirt that went to her knees.

Putting it on with some difficulty due to her bad arm, she went to her nightstand, grabbing a small bottle on it. Beside the bottle, a damaged pair of glasses stood, like some kind of decoration. She gazed at it for a few minutes, taking it with her free hand. The object made her feel a kind of warmth inside her, a strange feeling that she wasn't used to. The former owner was the closest person to her, the only one who payed attention to her, so she treasure it like a prize. Carefully, she placed it back on the nightstand, and turned her attention to the bottle.

Opening it, she took two small pills and gulped them without a second thought.

She then got back to the bathroom and opened the sink's drawer, and from there took a roll of bandages and a small band-aid. She wrapped it around her head, covering her left eye and the injured parts, before doing the same with her right arm, making firm sling around her neck, holding the member in place.

Upon fulfilling the tasks she was ordered to do every morning, she grabbed her school bag and went to the door, leaving the apartment without looking back.

The door stood open for a second, then closed itself, unlocked.

* * *

Shinji knocked once on the paper-thin door that led to Misato's bedroom and waited. He had gotten up a good half an hour ago, and had already cleaned the sink and taken the trash out, so he prepared breakfast for him and Misato with his free time. The woman had gotten home pretty late the last night, so Shinji waited a bit for her to wake up on her own. When she failed to meet his expectations, he tried to wake her up.

"Misato-san? Breakfast is ready, wake up", he announced in a voice not too loud but enough for her to hear, as he didn't wanted to disturb her.

He heard a muffled groan on the other side of the door, telling him that the woman had gotten up. A few seconds later, he hear the footsteps approaching the door, so he stepped back.

The door opened, revealing the semi-woken form of Misato Katsuragi. Wearing an old pajama and yawning loudly, she scratched her head at stared at Shinji with squinty eyes.

"Hmm, what is it, Shinji-kun…?", she said with a tired voice, clearly not happy about waking up that early. Shinji almost felt bad, but she _had_ instructed him to call her early, as she needed to explain him a few things.

"Uh, you know, breakfast? I already made it, it's by the table. Also, you were supposed to explain me how to get to school", he said, sighing at the last part.

It wasn't like he hated school, but the last few days had been tiring, with tests upon tests at NERV. He just wanted to lay down for a couple of days before actually starting his studies.

But Misato clearly judged that his education was more important than that, and the fact that he was being transferred months after the school year had begun meant he had a lot of catch up to do. He wasn't exactly excited about that last part. It was just more weight on his back.

"Oh", she said, blinking a few times. "Right. Uh, go get dressed while I eat. I'm gonna take to the train station in a few minutes, just gotta…", she yawned again.

"I'm already dressed, Misato", Shinji pointed downwards to his white shirt and black trousers.

He usually dressed like this when going out, so the uniform choice for this school wasn't anything to complain about. The white shirt was a standard choice for him, with a blue undershirt visible on his collar. The black pants contrasted with the white cloth above it, and his shoes were of a dark color.

All in all, it was a standard school uniform.

Shinji usually didn't cared about his clothing, deeming his usual outfit comfortable enough for the heat of Japan. Of course, at home he usually weared something lighter, like shorts or t-shirts, but on the outside he prefered not to draw much attention. It was how he liked it: he wasn't used to crowded places, preferring to stay either alone or with people he was familiar with.

Misato, noticing that the boy was already properly dressed, mumbled something about hating morning persons and dragged her feet to the kitchen. Shinji just went to the living room and fetched the school bag that came with the clothing. It had space enough for his notebooks and pencils and a little extra in case he needed to take something else.

A thought clicked on his mind, making him strode to his room in search of an prized object he had forgotten about.

Shinji enjoyed taking walks alone, and figured he would start to do that a lot when going to school. But he could also get bored, so when he arrived at his quarters, he went straight to his nightstand, opening the drawer and quickly searching what he came for. When he found it, he held it and took a good look.

His SDAT was not a modern device. It was actually pretty old, and Shinji had it ever since he could remember, and he had held to it for sentimental value, even if the thing would get busted sometimes, requiring maintenance, something Shinji was already used to.

It was the only thing he had from his mother. He didn't even remembered when she had given it to him, but it was always there with him, a reminder of a person that he barely remembered, but had loved and cried for ever since she was gone.

That, and his watch, faithfully placed on his wrist every morning, like a ritual. The two mementos of the only two persons that had loved and cared for him in his entire life. The most precious things he ever owned.

Putting the old player on his bag, he heard Misato giving a loud screech on the kitchen. If he wasn't used to it by now, he would think something was attacking his new guardian, but he knew that it was only her morning ritual: drinking a can of beer and announcing to the four winds how it was the best thing in the world.

Shinji snorted. The woman was a lazy slob, and sometimes was downright irritating with her carefree lifestyle, something that usually would fall to Shinji to gather the trash she would left behind.

But she was one of the nicest persons he ever met, so he forgave her for the behaviour. She would always try to talk to him, joking and teasing the boy for her own amusement. He would normally dislike that, but he knew that Misato was only trying to make himself feel at home.

Back with his uncle, he also liked to do something similar with the boy, and started to actually tease him sometimes when he got older, joking about girls and some stuff the boy didn't actually understand, but the man found hilarious. It was all in good nature, of course.

The difference was that uncle Akira was actually responsible, and didn't drink in the morning, left trash all around the house and woke up with massive hangovers almost everyday. But he sensed Misato's intention, so he couldn't help but to smile at that. The week he had lived with her until this point had been nice, even with the captain's lazy habits.

Hell, he even befriended the evil penguin that lurked around the apartment, as he started giving him a kind of food that he wasn't used to: actual edible one. The creature had stared him upon eating, and apparently approved the dish, as he started to greet Shinji whenever he passed him. Shinji was still cautious, as PenPen still manage to put a mean glare when he wanted, but now he was in good terms with the boy, being the new source of food and all.

Shinji enjoyed being a member of the Katsuragi household.

When the boy got back to the entrance of the apartment, Misato curiously wasn't wearing her customary red jacket, only some jeans and a yellow tank top. When she saw Shinji's questioning look, she just waved her hand with a small smile.

"I got home pretty late last night, so I'll only go to work on the evening. For now, let's just get you to the train station. It's not that far, so you'll have to go on foot tomorrow onwards", she said, excusing herself. It wasn't like he expected her to take him and pick him up at school, so he just shrugged.

Misato suddenly held her finger up, as if remembering something. She reached for her pocket and grabbed something.

"Here, Shinji, I bought it yesterday for you. Now that you'll be at school most of the time, we need some way to reaching you fast, so they told me to get you one", she said happily, hading the boy the object.

It was a cell phone, and a decent one at that, apparently. Misato was staring him with a smile, obviously expecting a reaction. Shinji never had one of these, as he normally didn't call anyone, and any person who was his sorta-friend was usually at his old school. It was a nice gift anyway, so he smile, turning to Misato.

"Thanks, Misato. But… is it not kinda expensive?", he asked, as he suddenly felt bad about the woman spending her money in something like that. An older model would suffice, after all.

She scratched her head and looked upwards, snickering. "Well… I kinda took a little bit of money from your NERV fund, so I could get you a good model. But it's worth it, I swear! It's a gift from me, so put it to good use", she said, winking.

Shinji smiled meekly in reaction to this. "Sure, but I don't think there will be a lot of use to it, you know?", he said, expecting her to get the message.

"Nonsense! I'm sure you'll make a lot of friends today. And, of course…", she leaned forward, giving him a sly smile. "You don't expect to memorize all the chick's numbers, right? Gotta store them somewhere."

Shinji immediately blushed, waving his hands and brushing off that idea. "M-misato! It's not like that!", he said, ashamed.

Shinji didn't considered himself attractive at all, not being very muscular, tall or handsome for that matter. Of course, there had been a few girls on his old school that he would find himself looking a little bit too much, and seeing the same act coming from the opposite side, if he ever managed to not look away flustered. But it never got beyond that, so his experience with the opposite sex was close to non-existent.

Misato just laughed loudly, before gesturing him to follow her outside towards her car. "You just have no idea how much you'll be a girl magnet, don't you? Come on kid, let's go."

* * *

After Misato dropped him at the train station, she gave him a loud 'Goodbye Shinji-kun' before taking off, traditionally driving like the devil was tailing her. Shinji would like to meet whoever taught the woman to drive someday, if only beg him 'why?'.

The train ride was as common as it could be: the few people inside the wagon were sparse, so nobody tried to invade his personal space or sleep on him by accident. The morning sun blazed through the windows behind him, warming his back, something that eventually made change his seat. The eternal heat was already hard to bear.

When he finally settled on his seat, Shinji grabbed his bag and removed his SDAT from it. Misato had seen it, and told the boy that the cell phone she gave him was able to play many more songs than the old music player.

But the thing's value was sentimental, so he had every intention of staying with it. His collection of tapes wasn't that big, but he had gotten used to it by now. Got to buy a few new ones at a store, if I find one, he noted mentally.

At the end of the trip, and a few loops on the few songs he owned, he left the wagon immediately when the doors opened. The still scorching sun was a nuisance again, so he followed a sidewalk that was covered by the trees.

Sighing, he proceeded on the long walk looking downwards, deep in thought. He had reflected many times upon his staying in Tokyo-3. Being there meant piloting again, and even if he had been in intense training over the last few days, he now realized that he had _no idea_ of what was going to happen next.

Misato had told him about the enemy that attack the city last week, upon his arrival: beings called Angels, with the purpose of destroying humanity. Apparently, there was not much more which she knew about it, besides the fact that their arrival was to be expected.

He had no idea of how many of those things there was out there, and even thinking of more of them made him shudder.

Of course he was scared. Who wouldn't? He was supposed to fight those monsters, creatures who could destroy entire cities. When he tried, all he got was pain and hurt, and he wasn't eager to repeat that.

But at the same time, he felt a sense of accomplishment, the feeling that he did something very important. If he hadn't done it, everybody would be dead. He had told himself that repeatedly over the last few days, like some kind of reminder of the reason he shouldn't run.

But the truth is that it was _hard_. Shinji had never felt so scared in his entire life. All the times he felt like a coward, wanting to run away from everything were nothing compared to the current situation. He would sometimes wake up in the middle of the night, sweating because of the terrible nightmares he had. Nightmares of death and being useless.

But his greatest nightmare was the feeling of guilt: he had made a promise, long ago. A promise that he wouldn't run away, no matter how difficult thing were.

In his nightmares, that promise was broken. His uncle was disappointed. Everybody shunned him, despising him for his weakness and cowardice. He would hug his legs and put his head between his knees, wishing for it all to go away, screaming at the top of his lungs. But they didn't. They stayed there, with judging stares. Then he would wake up.

That was his greatest fear: to disappoint the people who had trusted him. To be left alone. abandoned by the people who cared about him, who gave his strength.

So Shinji kept his promise, and moved forward.

The boy could tell he was getting close to the school, as he saw many students with similar uniforms merging into the same street. Soon, he could see the top of a building where a crowd of teenagers was heading.

He shuddered a little bit with the amount of people. His old school was pretty small, no more than a hundred students. But apparently this was the only middle school in Tokyo-3, and the population of the city was huge, making the amount of people inevitable.

Shinji decided to wait a little bit, so he wouldn't get stuck in the crowd. He laid his back against a wall and started to watch the many students passing him, all with bored and unconcerned faces. It was so strange that a city like that could actually have people with normal lives: the threat of an enemy like the Angels should make everyone run away in fear, searching for safer places.

But it seemed like humanity had the ability to thrive anywhere, even in a war zone. Life in Tokyo-3 went on.

A few minutes later, the crowd had dispersed, and Shinji judged it was a good time to get up and find his classroom. But then, when he was looking both sides of the street to see if there was no cars passing, he saw her.

The girl with blue hair and red eyes.

Wearing the female uniform, a single piece with a skirt, blue and white in color, she strode in his direction facing forward, her expression betraying no emotion. Around her head, a strap of cloth covered one of her eyes, and one of her arms was on a sling.

Shinji gasped for a second at the sight, but eventually just kept looking at her as she approached. She gave him a quick stare, as if analyzing him, and passed by him, without uttering a single word.

Shinji turned to see her back distancing, a few meters from him, with a puzzled expression. Did she not remember him? Maybe she was too numb on the hospital, and didn't recognize a person who she only had seen a couple times. Yeah, that was it.

Shinji hesitated for a second, before slowly walking a few steps in her direction, clearing his throat. He usually wouldn't do something like that, after all, the girl had showed every sign that she didn't want to be disturbed. But something compelled him to do it anyway.

"Hey, wait a minute…!", Shinji said, in a louder voice, but not a proper yell.

The girl just kept walking, unfazed by it. Shinji searched his memory. He had been told her name before, what was it? Ah, of course:

"You are Rei, right? The other...the other pilot?", he asked, awkwardly. He hadn't thought much about what he was going to say to her, he just went on impulse.

This time, the girl stopped. She stood there for a few seconds, before turning to him and giving him a deadpan expression. Shinji winced internally at this, but kept looking at her.

"Yes, I am. And you are pilot Ikari", she said, more of an statement than a question. She waited.

"Uh, yes, that's right", Shinji responded, scratching the back of his head. "Are you...are you ok? I mean, I saw you at NERV, and you seemed pretty hurt", he said, indicating the bandages on the girl.

She looked down for a second, before staring at him again. "Yes, my condition is acceptable now. In a few days, the bandages will be removed", she said, in a monotone voice.

Shinji made and understanding expression, and kept looking at her. For a few seconds, she waited for him to ask something else, but when he didn't, she just turned back and started to walk again.

Shinji stammered at the girl's sudden act and called her again. "W-wait! I just wanted to ask you something", he said, expecting her to listen.

What a strange girl, he thought. When he had seen her at the hospital, she had the same deadpan expression, like she was emotionless. At the time, Shinji thought it was because of the medicine they gave her, maybe morphine or something like that. But seeing that she was out of the hospital and behaving like this, it seemed like that was her normal self.

But he wanted to talk to her, to know more. Apparently, she was the only pilot besides him for now, even if Misato had said that there was two children trained in EVA piloting, and that they would eventually come to Tokyo-3. But right now, it was only him and Rei.

If she could pilot beside him, he would feel more capable, not doing the job alone. Because of it, he was now determined to get on her good side, even if his first attempt didn't seemed that effective.

When he called her, she turned back again, with a stare that meant "What?". Shinji gathered his words, and voiced his curiosity:

"How...how did you get injured?", he asked. He hoped that it would not sound to nosy, as he was only curious.

She kept her gaze on him for a few seconds, before answering: "It was the EVA", she simply said.

Shinji's eyes widened, surprised.

"The EVA? You mean...you fought one of those Angels?", he asked. Was there another before the one he fought? Did Rei got hurt the same way he did?

"No", she responded. "It was the EVA."

Shinji frowned and didn't understood at first, but eventually a memory came to his mind: his EVA had moved by itself. It had reacted and defeated the Angel by itself. He had no input in it, as he was unconscious, defeated.

So that meant that...the EVA itself had hurt Rei? Did it have a will of it's own?

"B-but...how?", he asked awkwardly once again. He was curious about it, as he didn't knew much about the war machines that both of them piloted.

Actually, he had never seen Rei's EVA, only Unit-01, with it's oppressive gaze and demonic appearance. Were all EVA's the same? Monsters to fight monsters?

Rei only stared at him for a long time while he waited for a response. After that, she gathered her answer:

"This is classified. Commander Ikari ordered me to not divulge any information", she paused, then looked at the school. "We will be late for class, pilot Ikari. I suggest we move on", she concluded dryly, before starting to walk towards the building.

Shinji just stood there for a long minute, looking at the girl's back as she arrived at the school. He looked at his left hand, closing and opening it repeatedly, deep in thought.

She was a strange person, for sure. She seemed so... closed. Unreachable.

He wanted to talk to her. He had felt an obligation to it. He had piloted in her place, she was alive because of it, so he wanted to meet the girl that would be his fellow pilot.

Instead, his conversation with her only made thing worse, apparently. He didn't knew why she acted that way towards him. Maybe she wanted to pilot, and he only got in the way?

No, this was ridiculous. How could someone actually _want_ to pilot an EVA? It was like signing your own death sentence. It was crazy. Shinji's own reasons for doing it were still foggy, something he kept thinking over and over again. He didn't understand any of it.

Like he didn't understood that blue haired girl.

She only stared at him, giving no hint of emotion, no sign of reaction at is questions. When she talked, it was like a robotic voice, saying things it was programmed to say. Shinji felt bad by the comparison, but it was what he had felt like talking to her.

Like talking to a doll.

Shinji shrugged these thoughts away. He could think about them another time. Sighing, he started to walk towards the school, dragging his feet.

 **TO BE CONTINUED**

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** A slightly shorter chapter this time.

Writing Rei is complicated. Maybe when I get more experienced I'll actually write her decently. This is my first fic, so it obviously serves as a writing exercise, a place where I can throw up ideas, so I suppose I'll get better with time.

And hey, maybe after I'm done, I'll actually revise the story, make changes to it so some stuff actually fits better (because there's probably things that are going to suck).

I dunno, still got a long road ahead. Keep tuned, and see ya next chapter.

Also: if you want the story to continue, please leave a review. Nothing makes me want to keep on more than good criticism.


	4. Give me Wings Pt 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Neon Genesis Evangelion or The Rebuild of Evangelion.**

 **Disclaimer 2: About the even shorter chapter, I'll explain it on the Author's Note.**

* * *

 **NEON GENESIS**

 **EVANGELION: SUBSTANCE**

 **Episode 4:**

" **Give me Wings Pt. 1"**

* * *

 **(Bethany Base, North Pole)**

" **You're late, Major" was the first thing the man heard as he entered the Command Bridge.**

NERV's Germany Branch operational director Major Nicholas Bethmann sighed at the comment. Commander Aleksey Kozlov, even if not entirely proficient with the english language, could easily made his presence felt in whatever tongue he decided to adopt. Russians have that talent, he supposed.

Giving the man a salute, Major Bethmann explained himself. "Forgive me, Commander. I have just arrived, and decided to rest for a few hours before presenting myself. It won't happen again".

The blonde major kept his posture, as a gesture of respect, while watching the older man stare at him in a judging way.

The Commander of Bethany Base was not a man to be crossed, that was for sure. The Major had full notion of his connections inside and outside NERV, and his influence and power put him in a position similar to Gendo Ikari, the apparent supreme commander of the organization.

His position at SEELEE was also not something to scoff at. It seemed like being connected to a bunch of old bastards was the norm for powerful people nowadays.

The room was dimly lit by the many screens all over the place, showing the base's status, and the walls were of a dark grey, almost rusty. It seemed that all the budget went to the actual objective of the scientific facility, making it the bastion of research and development of NERV. 'A shame', Bethmann thought.

Kozlov, with his bony face and bulky grey beard, stood at the command bridge, surrounded by two other operatives. He examined the new arrival with a frown, trying to decide how he would behave in is presence. Not that it mattered, of course: his position was of a commanding superior, and he could treat his subordinates as he wanted, even if they worked for another branch, which was Bethmann's case.

He decided to be blunt.

"No time for naps, Major. I'm a busy man, and I don't like having my time wasted", he said, with a serious expression. "Care to explain the reason of your visit? Or it was just for a little tourism?"

Bethmann chuckled internally. The bastard had some humor, after all. Even if it was crooked and unpleasant. Clearing his throat, he stood at ease, lowering his arm.

"No tours today, Commander. I came here for the child. We'll be transferring her to Tokyo-3, the Japanese Branch", he explained.

Kozlov grunted. "That's it? Why couldn't Agent Kaji take care of that?"

'Because Agent Kaji has other plans in mind', he thought, before continuing.

"Ryoji will be leaving for Germany Branch soon, to perform the Second Child's extraction in a few months. And, of course, Unit-02's", he said, then waited. He hoped that the Commander wouldn't bugger him for too long: he had limited time, after all.

Kozlov crossed his arms, still annoyed by the situation.

"Why didn't you do it? You _are_ the operational director of the German Branch, if I recall correctly. Maybe being an errand boy is your true profession, after all", he said, with poison on his words.

Bethmann didn't even flinch: nothing the Commander could say would affect him. He He was two steps ahead already, no need to lower himself. Instead, he smiled softly.

"There's no need for me to be personally there, as you already know: Tokyo-3 will he the focus of the Angel's Invasion. They sent me because of my position and the trust they have on me, and I am more than willing to obey the Council's decision", he said, proudly.

Bullshit: he personally volunteered for the task, and as he had previous experience with the child in question, they agreed with the request. He needed to contact her as soon as possible, and long distance communication was impossible at Bethany Base. At least for the Major's intentions.

Being the most recent EVA Test Pilot, she needed and escort, and someone who already knew her was the perfect option: the girl could be a pain in the ass sometimes, with her tendency to joke and make trouble at the worst of times. All of this smiling like she was the most innocent person in the world. Bethmann had met her while she was training at the German Branch, alongside the already chosen Second Child.

Now _that_ was a hard girl to deal with. He would wish good luck for Kaji, but he was already used to the girl. Sucks for him.

Kozlov gazed at him for a few seconds, before huffing and waving his hand at the Major.

"It doesn't matter. A guard will escort you to her quarters. Be quick: we have other matters to attend to", he said, also wanting to end the conversation.

Bethmann had a good idea of the "other matters" the Commander had in mind: being the operational director meant he was in charge of combat operations, and, extra officially, wasn't supposed to have information on the ins and outs of every NERV branch. But through his sources, he knew the base's true objective: research on the Angel's physiology and AT Field and capabilities.

Nearly a year ago, the base found something buried deep on the northern ocean, close to where the Bethany Facility was located. Something of immense power and size, but inside a deep slumber which had been going on for almost fifteen years.

Scientifically speaking, it was the greatest finding NERV had uncovered since its beginnings. For Nicholas Bethmann and WILLE, it was an opportunity.

It was called "Cassiel", as the Dead Sea Scrolls described. The true Third Angel.

Of course, the being that attacked Tokyo-3 a few weeks back was, for practicality, enumerated the same. It would be bad if people who didn't need to know about the research facility would start to question 'if that's the fourth, which one was the third?'. Secrecy was needed, then.

The Major saluted Kozlov once more, before being guided by a security officer towards the Pilot's room. Bethmann glanced at the man one more time before leaving the bridge. 'See you in another life, Commander', he thought.

Walking around the halls of the facility proved to be quite easy: there weren't many people there to begin with, and with the Angel's finally starting to appear, many of the military personnel (mostly UN) was relocated to NERV Tokyo and Berlin, leaving Bethany Base with a skeleton crew. There were still military on the base, of course: Subject Cassiel still needed guarding. 'It might help', Bethmann thought.

The security officer who was escorting him was a few years younger than him, with asian features and brown hair. He would sometimes turn his head to give Bethmann a look, before quickly turning ahead again. The Major knew the man wanted something.

"Something in your mind, officer?", he asked, pulling a rank.

The man turned once again with wide eyes. "N-no, sir. Nothing at all", he stammered.

"If there's something bothering you, you can ask", the Major told him, now with an understanding tone.

After a few seconds, the officer gulped and turned to him again. "S-sir...is it true that Tokyo-3 was attacked by an Angel?", he asked.

Bethmann inspired deeply, as if pondering on the question. Then, decided it didn't matter how much the man knew. It was public knowledge, after all.

"Indeed, it was", he answered. "The Angel was defeated, of course. No casualties", he added.

The officer seemed to sigh in relief, like a huge weight was lifted from his back. Bethmann noticed.

"Got family there?", he asked.

"Yeah, my dad and a sister. I asked to be transferred there, but they needed men here, so I stayed behind", he responded with a half smile, clearly unsatisfied with his post.

This struck a chord of Bethmann. He would have work around this situation a little more subtly now: he was not a monster. He brushed his hand at the pistol on his jacket lightly. 'Not today', he thought.

"I'm happy for you. I have a few friends there too", Bethmann responded. "What's your name, officer?", he then asked.

"Akechi, sir. Naoko Akechi", he answered, proudly. He was now comfortable with the Major, it seemed. "I was a sergeant on Japan, before being recruited by the UN. Better salary, y'know", he said, snorting.

"Really?", Bethmann asked. "I served too. A little bit before you, during the Impact Wars", he told the man.

"Holy shit", Akechi said in awe. "Thank you for your service, sir. I heard about those times. It must've been hell on earth", he said respectfully.

"It was. But it's in the past now", Bethmann answered. He didn't want to talk too much about that. "You don't need to come with me, if you don't want to. I've been here before", he told his companion.

The officer gave him an apologetic look. "Sorry, Major Bechmann, the Commander insisted that I accompanied you. He's been a little on the edge these last weeks. Paranoid, maybe", he whispered the last part.

"I see", Bechmann answered. Of _course_ he was: the old bastard knew his precious Committee's plans were on their way, so he was probably getting cautious. 'Not enough, tough'.

He changed the subject. "Say, do you know Izumi Nakano? She served in the japanese military too. Kinda short, black hair", he described.

Akechi chuckled. "That kinda describes 80% of the japanese, sir. But no, I don't remember anyone by that name", he responded, smiling.

"Shame. She's a good friend of mine. Haven't seen her for years", Bechmann said, smiling to himself. 'In fact, it's time for a reunion', he thought.

"Well, you should pay her a visit then", he said with honesty in his voice. "You never know when something might ha…"

Officer Akechi stop talking out of nowhere, perking up his head, as if hearing something.

Bethmann got curious too, and as they walked down the corridor and arrived at the quarters section, he could hear the noise that got the security's attention.

It was a feminine voice, soft but firm, echoing on the hall. He started to listen more carefully, and noticed that the voice was singing in japanese. And quite happily, it seemed.

" _I have no need for wealth or fame_

 _All I want now is a set of wings_

 _I still dream of those things_

 _That I've dreamed about when I was little"_

Bethmann recognized the voice. Then, he gave a small laugh upon seeing Akechi's confused expression.

"Never met the pilot, did you?", he asked the man.

Akechi scratched his head apologetically. "Yeah, well, that's not my department, so no. Oh, we're here", he said, pointing at the source of the singing.

They approached the metallic door, and Akechi knocked it three times. The song continued:

" _In this huge sky I wanna_

 _Spread my wings and fly_

 _Towards the free sky with no sadness_

 _I wanna flap my wings and soar"_

"Hey, come on! We don't have all day", he yelled at the door. He wasn't being rude per se, only trying to hurry the girl, as he had a tight schedule. She gave no answer.

Before he could call her again, Bechmann got on the way.

"Hey kid, we gotta go. Move your ass", he said in a slack tone. This surprised Akechi, as he didn't expect a Major to use that kind of tone to a subordinate. 'They must know each other', he guessed.

As Bethmann expected, the singing stopped. For a few seconds, he heard footsteps and some ruffling on the room, before the door was unlocked and opened, revealing its occupant.

The girl had brown hair, tied back in a double pony reaching her shoulders, and was shorter than him, as she was a fifteen year old girl. Wearing glasses, her face showed a mixture of japanese and european descendancy, and was pretty all around, for a teenager, that is. Wearing a white shirt and a chess skirt, she held a backpack with her right hand, while leaning on the side of the door with her left.

Recognizing the man, she gave Bethmann a catlike grin, clearly happy to see him.

"Yo, Blondie. Long time no see", she said cheerfully.

"Yeah, good to see you, Mari", he said, patting her head, something that she just snorted at. "Mind if I come in?", he asked.

Mari stepped back and gave him an exaggerated bow, extending her arm in invitation. "Welcome to my humble lair", she said with humour.

"Knock it off", Bethmann said with equal humour, entering the room. The place was quite compact, it seemed, having only space for a bed and a closet, all of which were empty now, as the girl had prepared for her departure. "What a dump", he said, dissatisfied with the place. Mari never cared too much about luxury, he remembered.

"Well, I've slept in worse", she chuckled. "All ready on your side?", she asked, grinning again.

Bethmann nodded slowly in response. They had planned this beforehand, so there was no need to complicate things. "Yeah, all good. What about you?", he asked.

Mari then noticed the man behind the Major, wearing a security officer uniform and looking intently at the two. No way they could proceed with him there. 'What a party pooper', she thought. And what was taking Kaji so long?

"Meh, almost.", she responded, faking a yawn. "There's a big box with the rest of my stuff below the bed. Maybe your friend there could help us?", she asked, pointing at Akechi.

The Major looked at the man, who could only switch looking to him and then to her, clearly not expecting that. But under the Major's look, he sighed, entering the room.

Bathmann and Mari placed themselves by the door behind Akechi, who was now leaning down to search said box. The Major reached for his coat.

Immediately, the base's sirens all started to blaze with an ear shattering noise. The lights went red, and the base went into emergency mode.

Mari groaned sarcastically. "About time, Kaji", she said, snickering.

At the alarm, Akechi rose from his feet, confused. "An emergency?! But what could've ha…"

Before he could finish the sentence, he felt something cold on the back of his head. At that, he paralysed.

"Akechi, you will hear me, and you will hear me carefully", Nicholas Bethmann said, in a serious tone. Akechi's face showed many layers of surprise and confusion. He raised his hands, unable to do anything.

"Major! What are you doing?", he asked desperately. Was the Major a traitor? Was that even possible?

"Shut up", Bethmann commanded, dryly. Akechi obeyed. "Will you listen to me? Nod if you will", he said, pressing the gun even harder.

Akechi swallowed hard, and after a moment, nodded.

"Ok. Smart man", the Major said. "Here is what's going to happen: in ten minutes, you will wake up. When you do, you will run towards the heliport and escape this place. Do you understand? Repeat that", he asked with unnerving calmness.

Akechi's mind was running at a thousand miles per hour, trying to find a solution for this situation. His gun was in his belt, and he had no means to overcome Bethmann physically. There was no choice for him.

"Wha...what do you mean?", he asked stammering.

Bethmann pressed the gun even harder on his head. "Repeat. What. I. Said", he commanded, obviously losing his patience.

Akechi, in panic, remembered his words: "I'll...I'll wake up and escape", he said with difficulty.

"Good", was all he heard Bethmann say, before he felt the electroshock run through his body.

He hadn't the opportunity to scream before he lost consciousness.

Mari watched as the security officer's stunned body fell to the ground with a thump. Crossing her arms, she gave the Major another of her trademark grins. "I always knew you were a softie", she said giggling.

"Shut up, we got no time. Take this", he groaned, handing her a bottle with some kind of small metallic device. Then, he pointed upwards and signaled the blazing alarms which were still at full power. "Put your plugsuit and let's go", he ordered.

Wasting no time, he left the room, while Mari reached for her bag, grabbing the plastic tissue.

Removing it from the backpack, she gazed at the suit: it was clearly a prototype. Being predominantly green, it had white details in its many bulges and apparatus attached to the arms and legs. It was probably very uncomfortable.

She twisted her mouth and raised her brows. "Man, I hate green. Oy! Blondie! Next time tell them to make my suit pink!", she yelled to Bethmann on the other side of the door. The man simply hit the door harshly, telling her to go on with it.

She giggled and put the suit on, pressing the button on its wrist to make the pressure adjust it to her body.

"Hmm, good, but not perfect. Guess I'll have to work with that. Now for the important part", she chuckled, before holding the bottle Bethmann gave her.

Opening it, she removed the small transmitter inside it. A small light beeped in it, and it had a spherical form.

"So this is the bobble I heard so much about", she said, interested in the object. Then, remembered time was short.

"Well, he we go" she said, putting it above her thumb on her closed hand.

Ejecting the device upwards, she caught it with her mouth and gulped it in a second, before letting a loud "Ahhh", mimicking satisfaction.

"Thanks for the meal, Blondie!", she yelled at the man again. And once more, he hit the door, with even more strength.

Giggling, she got up and ran towards the door.

Kaji was waiting her, after all. Time for some action.

 **TO BE CONTINUED**

* * *

 **Author's Note:** So, first: Mari. I like her character, even if she was barely used on the movies. I always thought that she had much potential as a character, like a wrench thrown on the engines of the cast of EVA. Unfortunately, Anno doesn't give a shit.

Second: this chapter will be divided in two parts. The reason for this is because I'll be busy for the next week, so I'll probably won't be able to write much (probably). So I thought 'screw it' and decided to give you this tidbit instead. The other chapter will be bigger, of course, as I intent to have at least more than 9000 words per chapter, or even more.

I already have the rest of the chapter on works, so I'll write when I can. As you can guess, it will continue Mari and Bethmann's Wacky Adventure™.

Once again, thanks to everyone who followed/favorited this story, and if you want to help me writing this, please leave a review with either constructive criticism or your opinion on the chapter.

See ya later folks.


	5. Give me Wings Pt 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Neon Genesis Evangelion or The Rebuild of Evangelion.**

* * *

 **NEON GENESIS**

 **EVANGELION: SUBSTANCE**

 **Episode 5:**

" **Give me Wings Pt. 2"**

* * *

" _ **Pilot Makinami, report to the command bridge immediately. Pilot Makinami, report to the command bridge immediately",**_ **said a voice over the comms, muffled by the sirens and alarms which blazed through the corridors of Bethany Base.**

"Seems like the old cunt needs me", Mari said humorously, panting and breathing heavily while running. She wasn't a fan of Kozlov, although anyone hardly was.

"Language", Bethmann reprimanded her, running alongside the girl. "There's a few things I need to explain, so pay attention. The transmitter I gave you needs three to four days to blend into your system, and after that, not even NERV's check ups will detect it."

"Well, you sure took your time. Why didn't you came earlier?", Mari asked.

"Complications at the German Branch. The arrival of the Angel in Tokyo-3 caused quite the fuss", he explained. "I had to come quick, or I would miss the party. After Operation Köder is completed, you will be picked up by a VTOL I have arranged. In a few days, you will arrive at Tokyo-3, more than enough time for the transmitter to do its job. "

"Are you coming with me?", she asked, smiling. She enjoyed the company of the grumpy Major, if only to pester him. He actually reminded her of the Princess, which made her ponder if all germans were like that. But all in all, he was a nice guy.

"No. I have to get back to Berlin as soon as possible and report your transfer. There will be questions, of course, but nothing too inquisitive. This base always was a timebomb, after all", he said, a rare snicker coming out of him. "What about Kaji? He got the package?"

"Yep, he already smuggled it into his plane. Everybody was occupied researching the Angel, so they didn't even noticed anything", she answered with a hint of respect for the agent. "I suppose the hard part was sabotaging the base and the Angel's containment cage. Our casanova friend has been working on that for weeks."

"Well, I'm glad he did it. Remember, this base has to disappear. No witnesses", he explained with a serious tone.

"Oh really?", Mari asked, grinning. "What about your friend back there?"

Bethmann huffed. "He's just a soldier. He won't testimony against a superior officer, neither will anyone believe it. Besides, I doubt he will even return to duty that soon", he said. Officer Akechi worries were clearly directed to his family, so he would probably abandon the army and go straight to Japan. Bethmann had more concerning things to think about right now.

"Well, if you think so", she said, chuckling.

They finally arrived at the bridge's door. Before they entered it, both stopped, looking at each other. Bethmann put his hand on the girl's shoulder, giving her a worried smile.

"It's time, kid. Good luck out there", he said.

"Good luck to you too, Blondie", she answered, returning the smile. "One more thing: is Kaji one of us? I didn't mention it to him, of course, but I always thought he was already a member."

"No, he is not. Agent Kaji has his own agenda, and coincidentally, his current goal is beneficial to us. Nebuchadnezzar's Key true origins are a safety measure for us", he said. Then, smiling, added: "I wish I could see Gendo Ikari's face when the time comes."

"You and me both", Mari said, grinning.

"Anyway, Kaji might be introduced eventually. It depends on Izumi and Akira. I heard he's quite a friend of Rokubungi", Bethmann told her. "But enough of that, let's get in", he said, motioning him to follow her.

Opening the metallic doors, they entered the room.

The entire bridge was in panic, with dozens of technician running around trying to get a hold of the situation, like a swarm of bees. The many screens blared with status reports and emergency alarms, indicating that whatever had happened was serious business. On the central console, Kozlov shouted orders to his subordinates with a booming voice.

Between the Commander and the Major, stood a tall man with his hands on his back, dressed in a dark grey uniform. His brown hair was tied in a ponytail and, upon hearing the door open, turned to see who had arrived. He smiled.

"Hey kid. Just in time", he said, with a smile directed to Mari. Then he saw Bethmann, and adopted a different expression: one of fake sympathy.

Bethmann understood it: as far as Kaji knew, he was just another NERV Officer, and giving his position, probably tied to SEELEE. Being an agent for both, not to mention his work for Japan's Government, he needed to maintain his facade as realistic as possible. They had already met each other quite a few times at the German Branch, always with politeness from both parts. As far as Bethmann knew, Kaji had suspicions, but wasn't anywhere near the truth.

Bethmann smiled back. If he was to eventually join WILLE's efforts, he should play his part for now. Kaji's job here was to simply deliver the package to Ikari, nothing more. Bethmann couldn't risk making him suspicious.

"Sup', Kaji", Mari responded with squinted eyes and an sly smile. "So, something is finally happening? I was getting bored."

"Of course you were", he said, chuckling. Then, turned to the man beside her, nodding without taking his eyes out of him. "Greetings, Major Bethmann."

"Greetings, Agent Kaji", he said, nodding in response. 'Ryoji is really a sneaky one', he thought.

Suddenly, Commander Kozlov noticed the arrival of the pilot and the Major, and turned towards them, a scowl on his face.

"Finally you're here. Pilot, present yourself immediately to the cages. We will be using the Provisional Evangelion", he said bluntly.

Evangelion Provisional Unit was, as far as Bethmann knew, a clunky piece of technology. Assembled quickly inside Bethany Base in case of emergency, it's capabilities were inferior to the already produced Prototype EVA-00 and TEST Unit-01. It's controls were primitive, being more dependant on actual control than mental synchronization. It could be called an actual robot, as opposed to the true EVAs, which were biological constructs. To top it all, it didn't use a power cable: its energy was provided by the rails in which the EVA had to move around, severely limiting it's flexibility.

Bethmann wished Mari good luck once more, mentally.

"Yes sir!", Mari responded cheerfully, earning a grunt from the Commander. "What is the target?"

"We are being invaded by an Angel. It has infiltrated the Base by the Cocytus facility, and it's making its way towards the Limbo Area", Kozlov told her hurryingly way, expecting her to get in the EVA as soon as possible.

The lie made the three persons in front of him scoff mentally. The secrets of Bethany Base weren't as well guarded as Kozlov thought. None of them made any reaction to it, of course.

"You are to impede the Angel's invasion of the Limbo Area. You will have military support on the lower levels: there's a Tank Squad engaging the target already, but they won't last long", Kozlov continue. "Now go at once, no time to lose!"

Mari gave him a mocking salute, before leaving the room and going straight for the EVA Cage. Kozlov turned his attention to Bethmann.

"Well Major, it seems you'll have to wait a bit longer", he said, the scowl lever leaving his face.

Bethmann crossed his arms, frowning back at the Commander.

"Not exactly, Commander. My VTOL is due to leave in a few minutes. I wish you good luck", he said bluntly.

Kozlov simply scoffed at him, deeming him a coward.

"Actually, so do I, Commander. I have business to attend to in Berlin. Very important business, actually. I assume you understand", Kaji interrupted, smiling at Kozlov. He approached a table beside him and took his jet helmet, putting it below his arm.

Kozlov's eyes widened. He knew of Agent Kaji's connection to the Committee, and had expected him to deliver him orders at the command of SEELEE. But no message was delivered: Ryoji only came as an official agent of NERV, and not once implied any kind of intention beside that.

The Commander was confused by that. Was there no update? Had Keel cut contact with him?

Questions for another time. For now, there were bigger problems at hand. He grunted at Kaji.

"So be it", he simply said, then turned to the operatives. "Prepare the EVA at once", he ordered, ignoring Bethmann and Kaji behind him.

Kaji smiled softly. Humanity didn't have the power to control the will of Angels, but they tried anyway, and this was the result. Of course, the result would be helped by the eventual self destruction of EVA. With that, the base would be purged, without any suspicion coming from any side. As for a meaning of escaping, the girl said she already had 'a way out', so Kaji didn't need to worry.

He had already suspected the girl was involved in something. Was she a SEELEE operative? Maybe working for the Minister of Interior Affairs? And a child, at that. 'Cruel times need cruel measures, I suppose', he thought.

What were her true objectives, he didn't know. But the girl was capable and was a great asset, that was for sure.

Beside him, Major Bethmann was preparing to take his leave, walking towards the door. Kaji quickly ran to his side, accompanying him on the walk. The Major only raised an eyebrow at him, before returning to face forward.

"Can I help you, Mr. Kaji?", he asked. He knew Kaji was a talkative smooth person, something that was very useful on his line of work, that being convincing people and gathering information. Bethmann would maintain his facade, of course: as much as Kaji was considered a reliable person, any kind of clue indicating his true intention could have catastrophic consequences. He needed to keep his cool.

Kaji chuckled, scratching his scruffy beard.

"Nothing in mind, Major. Just thought of accompanying you to the landing pad, after all, we're both going to the same place", he said.

"Indeed. Do you have a transport?", he asked. He already knew the answer, of course, as Kaji wouldn't be that unprepared. But if he wanted to make small talk, so be it.

"I do, thank you. Came by jet, the pilot's waiting me", Kaji said, showing his aviator helmet. "Even if the Angel tightened my schedule", he completed, smirking.

"I'm sure Mari will take care of it. As obnoxious as she might be, she has talent", Bethmann said, smiling slightly. He had accompanied the girl's training over the years, to which she was very impressed. The fact that she was aware of the EVA's true nature and capabilities helped, of course: her synch rate was usually good enough, and she seemed to genuinely enjoy piloting. Nothing better than having someone who's capable of piloting a weapon of mass destruction on your side.

Kaji snickered at the remark. "She's really something, isn't she? Almost as good as Asuka. Just don't tell neither of them I said that. Mari would annoy her to no end, and Asuka is… well, she's Asuka", he said, scratching his head and grinning.

The redhead's temper was no secret inside the German Branch, and she considered Mari a rival when it came to EVA piloting, even if she always beat the brunette by a good margin. Kaji liked to think that the competition could be good for the girl, maybe teach her some humility.

He wasn't sure it was working. But Asuka, even if she usually would get annoyed with Mari's carefree nature and constant snarky remarks, seemed to at least tolerate to other pilot. If Mari's performance was better than her's, that would be another story. The girl's pride was a problem, that was for sure.

That, and the behavior she adopted when around Kaji. The agent sighed mentally at that.

Bethmann was aware of all that, so he simply gave Kaji a acknowledging smile. "Yes, that would be problematic. I am aware of the Second Child's temper. Weren't you supposed to take care of that? You were appointed as her guardian, after all", he said, already knowing the answer.

Kaji scratched his chin, snorting. "I can't simply command her to behave. Even if she _does_ listen to me, it's up to her to mature on her own, isn't it?", he responded. "It's not so easy. I'm sure you are aware of her… past complications."

'And the other pilots are not much better', Kaji thought, remembering the report on the First and Third Child. 'A boy abandoned by the father like a useless tool, and a girl whose past is a mystery. The Marduk Institute sure is selective'.

"Indeed I am. Sorry about that, I didn't meant to sound insensitive", Bechmann said, sighing. Looking at his digital watch, he started to hurry up. "We'll talk another time. Let's get going."

Kaji took this as a cue to end the conversation, so the rest of the walk went silent, excluding the base's alarm blaring. Bethmann expected the agent to direct a few well planned questions at him, but none came.

He was a suspecting man after all. It was the nature of his business. But he didn't, which made Bethmann believe that Kaji wouldn't even known which questions to make. Good.

They arrived at the base's outer facility, where they could see the entirety of it's top. The place was circular, with several towers spiking up on all the sides of its edges. The water rained hard from the dark skies, so they rushed towards their way.

When they finally arrived at the landing pad, a sudden tremor shaked the ground. Both man almost lost their feet, but managed to keep up, looking each other with worrying expressions.

"The Angel must've breached Limbo", Bethmann said, with a click of his tongue.

"Indeed", Kaji remarked. "I suppose we should hurry."

Both started running, fearful of the consequences of the Angel's apparent early success on breaching it's cage.

A few meters ahead, they saw a line of many VTOLs, planes and jets stationed along the base's landing pad. Soon they would be swarming with whoever was smart enough to try and escape before the base blowed up. Officer Akechi would probably be among them.

Soon, they saw their respective aircrafts, and its pilots waiting for them, waving in despair. Before each got their separate ways, they looked at each other, for a temporary farewell. Kaji extended him hand.

"See you in Berlin, Major Bethmann", he said, with his everlasting smooth smile.

Bethmann did the same, shaking the man's hand.

"I sure hope so, Agent Kaji", he said. Then, looked down to the ground, as if watching the eminent battle that would be taking place down there. "I also hope we'll see the girl again", he said, with a somber tone. It was not like he didn't trusted the girl's skills, only her tendency to not take anything seriously.

"We sure will. She knows how to take things seriously, when she wants to", Kaji responded smiling, before running towards his jet, putting the helmet on. Bethmann did the same, entering his VTOL and taking a seat.

When the pilot turned the engines on, the Major leaned on his side, to make sure the man could hear him.

"Everything ok with the Pilot's transport?", he asked.

The pilot gave him a thumbs up. "Yes, sir. ETA in approximately one hour", he said as loudly as possible, as the rotors had started moving, making a loud noise. "We need to move, sir. Things are getting shaky around here", he said, making a worried expression.

Bethmann only nodded, before returning to his seat. The VTOL started to lift from the ground, and soon they were distancing themselves from the base. Looking over it, he felt the need to reach Mari over the radio, if only to check on her.

But now, it was in her hands, so he suppressed the urge. The plan had to go on, no suspicions.

Bethmann crossed his legs and, leaning on his seat, released a long sigh. The last hours had been tiring, so he had earned a little rest.

The hard part was only getting started, after all.

* * *

Mari Illustrious Makinami was a hard girl to describe.

Some could call her 'obnoxious', but they couldn't deny the girl had personality. Most of the staff at Bethany Base (and at the German branch) thought of her as a carefree girl, who had the tendency to not take things seriously and to be rather inconvenient at the most inappropriate times. This behaviour usually tested the patience of the high ranking members of NERV, who were displeased with her 'anti-professional' acts. But among the technicians and lower workers, she received a quiet admiration: some respected her piloting skills, some prefered her over the arrogant and proud Second Child.

And right now, Mari was doing what she did best: annoy her superiors.

" _In this huge sky I wanna_

 _Spread my wings and fly"_

Inside the Provisional Unit's plug, her singing being transmitted over the comms, she could faintly hear Kozlov barking orders at her, with his grave voice. Her attempts to ignore him completely didn't bode well with the Commander. 'Just wanna end the song, you twat', she thought, her already present grin getting wider. She continued:

" _Towards the free sky with no sadness  
I wanna flap my wings and soar"_

Finishing her personal show, she let out a sigh. "Ah, nothing better than a good song", she said. Then, pressed the visual communication button on her right, prompting a holographic screen to appear inside the plug. On the other side of it, the old bearded men looked furious, breathing heavily and frowning deeply.

"Pilot Makinami, stop with this nonsense and listen to my orders. We will discuss your insubordination later", he said with a commanding tone, his patience apparently running dry.

Mari suppressed a snort: Kozlov could bark all he wanted, there would be no consequence to it. In fact, her 'insubordination' and waste of time was proposital: if she fought the Angel inside Cocytus, her escape would be made quite harder, as the facility was located deep inside Bethany Base. If the creature the intention of approaching the surface, all the better for her. She trusted her skills.

The actual angel wasn't what worried her: according to Kaji, it was weaker than it was supposed to be, after months of probing and dissecting. Its external defenses were tore apart, and all that was left was something similar to a skeleton, with its core exposed and easy to see.

What worried her was her means of fighting the Angel: the Provisional Unit was, as the Princess would put it if she was here, a 'piece of crap'. Having almost no AT Field capability, it was put together rather clumsily, as she had heard from Bethmann. Most of its limbs were prosthetics, and it had almost no flexibility of movement, being chained to a rail which ran through the base. Its format was similar to a european medieval knight, with a progressive spear on the right arm, four "legs" connected to the rails below and two protuberances connecting with the ones above. The predominant color was green, to Mari's dismay. 'These guys have no sense of style', she thought.

To compensate the low mental synchronization control that was possible, several tubes were attached to her suit's elbows, tracking her movements. That made her movement rather clumsy, and would probably difficult her task a lot more than necessary. 'A piece of crap indeed', she mused, giggling. It wouldn't matter in the end: she didn't exactly needed to defeat the Angel hand to hand, only buy some time before auto-destructing the EVA. Then, it would be 'goodbye Commander Cunt'.

"The Angel is making its way towards the surface. You need to neutralize it before it does. It's already breached the Limbo Area, so you'll need to intercept ASAP. Do you understand?", Kozlov explained to her, sternly.

Mari gave him thumbs up, a malicious smile on her lips. "Aye Aye, capitán", she responded.

Kozlov simply growled and cut the transmission, undoubtedly expecting her to carry on immediately.

Mari waited a bit, and after the technicians finished adjusting the EVA's settings, a green light shone on the plug, signaling she was good to go.

"Ahh, finally some action. Let's see how tough this baby is", she said to herself. "EVA Provisional Unit, activate."

Upon her command, data screens and monitors appeared on her sides, indicating the EVA's status and combat capability.

In front of her, the grey entry plug was replaced by the EVA's front camera, showing a long and dark corridor, where rails went through. That would be her path. Grabbing the controls rods, she pushed them forward, making the EVA start to move quickly, startling Mari with the inertia.

"Woah, this thing packs a punch! I suppose this spear can do a lot damage, then", she said, impressed with the EVA's strength. She wiggled her right arm, making the Unit repeat her movements moving the spear attached to the arm. The synch wasn't very precise, but she only needed to point it in the Angel's direction and the job would be done. 'Nice', se thought, with a little smile.

Pushing the rods forward, the EVA's speed increased, making it wobble on the rails on every curve. While Mari wanted to take her time with the Angel, she was excited with the prospect of battle: she had entered a plug many times during her training, and like the Princess, was dying to feel the thrill of combat.

Her reason were different, tough: only being in an EVA made her feel joy. Taking control of such a marvel of technology for her meant that she could do anything she wanted. The true nature of EVA used to bother her when she found out, but now, she understood that thinking like that would only disturb hers and WILLE's effords. She needed to focus.

And, of course, when her own Unit was completed, she would like the company the EVA would provide. She regretted not being allowed to tell the Princess about the EVA's true nature: it would change everything for her.

But for now, the secrecy was kept. 'Too bad', she thought.

" _Target inbound. Pilot Makinami, prepare to engage the target"_ , a female voice announced on the comms.

Mari now was brimming with expectation, getting closer and closer to the red dot on her holographic map of the base. Readying the spear on her hand, she kept going, waiting for the Angel to appear on the tunnel.

After a few moments, she started to hear a loud repeating thud of metal being crushed and a cackling sound, like bones hitting each other: the target was close.

As expected, she soon could see the Angel through the darkness of the tunnel. Mari knew the Angel's were like nothing humanity had ever seen, but she was genuinely surprised by the creature: it was like a skeletal snake, its rib cage exposed, being supported by a bulbous base, with many small legs moving it. The head was like a multi layered skull, with bright shining eyes under an outer carapace. On its mouth, a protuberant red orb was visible. That would be her target.

Curiously, it had something resembling a entry plug hanging on its neck. Mari snickered at that. 'Trying to meddle with things you don't understand, Commander? We'll see how that works out'.

The Angel seemed to notice her presence, as he let out a loud shriek, advancing on the EVA's direction. At that, Mari readied her spear.

"Raise AT Field", she commanded the Provisional Unit. Immediately, an dim orange wall of light engulfed the EVA, protecting it as much as it could. Mari knew the Unit's AT Capabilities were weak, so she simply clicked her tongue in annoyance, focusing on attacking. 'Guess I'll have to be on the offensive', she thought.

As the Angel approached, she backed her right arm with the intention of adding strength to the attack beyond the inertia. With a command, the progressive spear started to vibrate and shine with a red color, its temperature rising for the blow.

When the target was finally getting into her reach, she let out a cry as she launched the EVA and the spear forward, aiming directly at the core.

For a moment Mari thought that the battle would end quickly: the Angel didn't seem agile, so she expected to hit its weak point in one blow.

But to her surprise, the Angel immediately wiggled its neck, deflecting the attack both physically as with the its AT Field, which appeared suddenly. With one movement, the Angel kept launching itself towards Mari, who gasped at the move.

Pushing the rods towards the her right side, she managed to move the EVA's torso out of the way, the Angel now landing behind her.

At that, Mari tried to turn the EVA around to face Cassiel once more, but found that the Unit was going too fast, unable to stop at that speed.

"God dammit, this thing is too unresponsive!", she growled in no particular direction, cursing the EVA. The girl was not one to get angry easily, but the outdated nature of the Unit go to her nerves.

Seeing no other option, she reached for a red handle on her right side, pulling it upwards. At that, the EVA's emergency brakes came to action, slowly stopping the EVA on its tracks, sparks flying everywhere.

"Ok, this is going worse than expected", Mari groaned. Looking on the Angel's direction, she saw that it had stopped close to one of the tunnel's walls. Suddenly, it emitted a bright beam towards the thick steel wall, making her raise her arms to block the blinding light.

"Well, there he goes. He practically ignored me!", she said as she made the EVA move once again, pursuing the Angel.

Ahead of her, Cassiel had managed to melt the wall, making a path to the outer facility. When it crossed the hole, he saw that there was no way out in that direction, standing there for a few seconds. But the need to escape was urging, so it decided to be direct: looking upwards, it could feel the weaker plating of the base's roof. It was a desperate escape.

Raising it's AT Field upwards, a bright halo formed above the Angel's head, the heat and strength of it making everything around the creature melt instantly. The roof above it started to fall apart, so the Angel used another AT Field, this time downwards, to propel its body through the hole it had made. Soon, it would be on the surface.

"It has breached the Limbo Area! It's reaching the surface!", a technician yelled on the bridge, despair in his voice.

Kozlov himself was sweating cold. Months of research were going to waste, but the base could start again: it had more than enough data on the Angel, so the creature itself was expendable. But now, he started to fear for his own life. Everything could be ruined in a few minutes. The research needed to be preserved, or, at least, the Key. It was vital for the conclusion of the project, it could _not_ be lost.

"You need to destroy the target immediately! Pilot Makinami, _do something!_ ", Kozlov screamed over the comms, desperate. SEELEE needed him. He couldn't die that day. Not before Instrumentality.

Below them, Mari heard the message loud and clear while pursuing the Angel. Snickering, she turned the comm off. 'Of course I will do something, Commander', she thought.

After following the Angel's path, she found the hole the creature had made on the roof, something that impressed her.

"Damn, he sure know his ways", she said, whistling. "No problem: it only makes things fun!", she said grinning and reaching for a button on the left rod.

As she pressed it, the EVA disconnected itself from the rails, and a blaring alarm appeared on the screen, indicating how much time she had before the EVA would turn off.

Two minutes. 'Heh, now we're talking', she thought, the time limit only making her more excited about the fight.

On the EVA's feet, four propelling rockets appeared, blasting the Provisional Unit through the open hole in high velocity. Soon, Mari could see the surface, and the EVA was on the outside.

While on the air, she spotted the Angel: it was climbing one of the huge pillars that were around the circular base. It was apparently unaware of the EVA's presence. This gave Mari an idea.

Leaning the EVA forwards, she activated the propulsors once more, sending it in route of collision with the Angel. She raised her right arm, once more activating the progressive spear, and pointed forward.

The Angel didn't noticed Mari presence until the spear hit it on its neck, sticking him to the wall. Feeling the heat from the weapon, the Angel shrieked and shook himself madly, trying to get rid of the EVA, which was now hanging from the spear. Seeing no other option, the Angel looked directly towards its enemy and concentrated its AT Field in one place, sending a spear of light on the Provisional Unit.

As the EVA started to receive the blow of the attack, its armor started to melt from the heat of it. Mari's sych rate was high enough for her to feel the pain, even if the EVA was deficient on that department.

"B-bloody hell", she yelled, feeling the heat destroying her plug suit, small fragments of it floating on the LCL around her. "This hurts, but… it only makes things more interesting!", she said, laughing maniacally. Pulling all her strength, she raised her left arm, which had two small spikes on the hand, and attacked the Angel's mouth, piercing its core.

That wasn't enough to stop the Angel, as it continued to wiggle around desperate, focusing his beam on Mari. As it moved its head, the bright spear moved along, damaging the EVA's body in several places, before passing through its legs, the weakest part of the Unit.

Mari felt pain on her lower member, and she could hear a faint alarm indicating that the Angel had cut the EVA's legs.

Besides, looking over the timer, she could see that she had less than thirty seconds of power left.

"This complicates things", she said, breathing heavily. "This things is a piece of crap, Kaji wasn't lying."

Time was short, and options were thinning out. Thinking quickly, she realized that her spear arm was now useless, the weapon too long to do anything. "Ok, you bastard, i'll let you have an arm", she growled she pressed the right arm's ejection button.

With that, the spear was disattached from the EVA, its right arm now free, and the left one piercing the Angel's core, holding them together. The pain was starting to worsen, as the Angel kept shooting his beam on her. "Ok, now or never", she said to herself, before looking at the timer.

Thirteen seconds.

At that, she quickly launched her free arm towards the core, piercing it again. 'There it goes: my last bet. Hope it works', she thought, worried about the time.

The red core was letting sparks out, and the Angel seemed more desperate than ever, failing to hit the EVA with its beam and wiggling around like a dying creature. 'Just a little more', she thought, praying to whatever god existed. Not that she believed in any, but any help was welcome.

Eight seconds.

"Dammit, you sure like to take your time, huh? Die already!", she yelled, desperation overcoming her. She needed at least _one second_ of energy. With that one second, she would complete her plan.

Eventually, the Angel stopped moving. Its long neck fell hanging, and the red core disintegrated to a red liquid, akin to LCL. The Angel was dead.

Quickly, she glanced at the timer. Two seconds. "Shit, shit, shit, gotta be quick", she said desperate.

With tremendous speed, she reached to her side, opening a small hatch below her seat. Inside, she found a red and yellow handle, which she pulled immediately.

A red siren beeped inside the plug. The last remaining of the EVA's power was directed towards the last command. Mari sighed in relief, as the seat around her was sealed inside a metal hatch.

She managed to activate auto-destruction. "See ya in hell, Commander", she said in satisfaction, smiling.

* * *

On the bridge, Kozlov watched the last moments of the fight with a tense posture. The Angel needed to be destroyed, or else everything he worked for the last years would be for nothing.

As the Provisional Unit stabbed the Angel's core repeatedly, its internal power was lowering at a steady pace. It had to be destroy it immediately.

While the fight was going on, Kozlov sent an officer to retrieve the Key of Nebuchadnezzar from the containment facility. He tried to send Officer Akechi, but he couldn't find the man anywhere, so he sent the next in command. He had arrived a few minutes earlier, a reinforced steel suitcase on his hands. It was now beside Kozlov, ready to be transported to an escape VTOL, in case it was needed. Weirdly, he had the impression it was lighter than he remembered, but now was no time for distractions.

Suddenly, the Angel's status went green, and the alarm stopped. "Provisional Unit has defeated the Angel!", one of the technician announced loudly.

Kozlov sighed in relief. The threat was destroyed, and the base was safe. He would be able to continue his research on the Angel's properties, even if Subject Cassiel was gone. No matter: they had collect many samples from its body, more than enough to continue their project.

As for the Key, he would have to keep it for himself, for the time being. The lack of contact from SEELEE was suspicious, enough to make Kozlov suspect he was cut out from the project.

It was absurd: he was as loyal to Instrumentality as anyone could be, following Keel's orders as faithfully as possible for many years. If they wanted to stab him in the back, he needed a guarantee, something that would make him vital for the Project.

That something was the Key.

Kozlov felt the urge to smirk, but something else came to his attention:

"Sir, the pilot has ejected from the EVA! She's activating se…", the bridge technician gasped at the information on the screen. "It's self-destructing!"

At that, Kozlov went pale. He looked at the holographic map, where a sudden spike of energy emerged.

He would never partake in Instrumentality. At that, he screamed in despair, before the explosion engulfed him.

* * *

The plug wobbled around on the ocean's waves, making Mari put her hands on both walls. It had been a soft landing, all things considered.

Pressing the button above her, the plug's hatch opened, revealing a dark cloudy sky and a howling wind. Lifting herself, she got up and, looking around, she found what was once Bethany Base: a pile of fuming steels, twisted all around with protuberant spikes pointing towards the sky.

The destruction of the base would be, according to Bethmann, shrugged off as an accident: both NERV and SEELEE knew how dangerous the facility was, so something like this happening was, at least, considered.

She wanted to contact Bethmann, and tell him that the plan had ran smoothly. Unfortunately, he had prohibited her of contacting him, as it would be 'too suspicious'. He had instructed her to contact Kaji instead, as the Agent's wasn't tied directly to NERV as Bethmann was. Besides, he _was_ running an errand from Commander Ikari, so he could act more freely. But Bethmann was only supposed to be an Officer from the German Branch, with no actual power. The Major had to be careful every step of the way, while Kaji had an considerable easier time. Kaji it is, then.

Picking up a radio comm from the plug, she put the code Kaji had given her and waited.

After a few seconds, a man picked up.

"Glad to see you're okay, kid", Kaji said, probably grinning on the other side.

"Never felt better", she responded, chuckling. "Got what you wanted?", she asked him. That was the point of the plan, so the question was only a formality.

"Got it. It's right here by my side", he told her. "What will you do now?", he asked her. Someone had to pick her up, but she had said that she had a way.

"Don't worry, mister. Already got an VTOL coming for me. Next stop: Japan", she said cheerfully.

Kaji gave her a small laugh. "Well, good luck there. A few more weeks and I'll transfer there too. Seems to be where the big stuff is going to happen."

"Are you taking the princess?", she asked with mischief in her voice.

Kaji gave her a mocking sigh. "Yes, of course she'll go. I'm sure she misses you a lot", he said sarcastically.

Mari giggled. "I'm sure she does. Well, at least I do.", she responded honestly. She liked the other girl, even if she tried her best to keep Mari away. Mari understood the girl's behaviour, so she didn't judge. "Anyway, tell them to finish Unit-05 already. I'm dying of expectation."

The production of Mari's own EVA had started a couple of years back, some time after she was drafted into EVA Pilot Training. For a time, she thought she would be designated as the Third Child, but suddenly, Commander Ikari's son appeared piloting Unit-01 and defeating an Angel. He seemed like an interesting kid, from what Kaji had said, even if he had stole the title of Third from her.

Fourth Child it is. Anything is fine as long as they paint EVA-05 pink. Bright pink.

"They are giving it the finishing touches, don't worry", Kaji responded humorously. After a small pause, he concluded: "Sorry kid, gotta go. Good luck on Tokyo-3."

"Good luck to you too, Kaji-san", she responded, using the honorific mockingly.

Kaji gave a small laugh, before sighing. "A shame I have to use a kid for my own purposes. I hope you'll forgive me someday, Mari. See ya", he said, hanging up the call.

Mari stood there for a few seconds, looking at the radio. Than, a smile crept on her lips. "Don't worry, Kaji. I am the one who's ashamed of using you", she said quietly, as she started to contact the VTOL Bethmann had sent to pick her up.

Tokyo-3 awaited.

 **TO BE CONTINUED**

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** Well, I'm back. I have no intention of splitting the chapter's like this again, so don't worry.

Mari is fun to write, I'll tell you that. She'll be back soon.

Also: the song Mari sings on this chapter is called "Give me Wings", familiar to whoever whatched 2.22.

Once again, thank you for reading it. If you like it, please leave a review. It helps me on continuing this story.

See ya next chapter.


	6. All Eyes on Me

**Disclaimer: I do not own Neon Genesis Evangelion or The Rebuild of Evangelion.**

* * *

 **NEON GENESIS**

 **EVANGELION: SUBSTANCE**

 **Episode 6:**

" **All Eyes on Me** **"**

* * *

" **My name is Shinji Ikari. Nice to meet you all", the boy announced in front of the classroom with a respectful bow, as the old teacher had told him to do.**

As Shinji had always attended the same school since he was a child, he wasn't used to new classrooms or the introduction that this ensued. Nevertheless, he told his name loud and clear, like he was instructed by uncle Akira whenever meeting new people.

'It's always a good thing to be understood when you speak, and people will remember you more easily if you say it clearly. No need to be shy, kid', he would say, patting Shinji's head.

Upon the boy's introduction, the entire classroom seemed to stare at him with curious looks on their faces. Conversations and students whispering on each others ears started to fill the room, all having their own opinions about the boy.

"Kinda scrawny. Doesn't look like much", a boy stated, unimpressed by the new student. Being a member of the volley team, he was also disappointed that the new kid didn't had the profile of a good player, appearing to be rather weak physically. The other boys agreed. 'Shame', they thought.

"Is that a gold watch? What is he, some kind of playboy?", another asked, he and his colleagues trying to figure what was the newcomer's deal.

"Hmm, I've seen better, but he isn't hard to look at", Aiko Chihiro said towards her group of loyal friends, all eager to hear her opinion on Shinji Ikari. Being the elect most attractive girl in the class, she had good influence and popularity over the place, always being followed by a crowd of interested girls and _very_ interested boys.

Maybe she would be nice to the new student, flirty even. All in good time, of course.

"W-well, I think he is cute", a long black haired girl wearing glasses said in a low and shy tone. Nobody heard it.

Kensuke Aida, who was up until that moment playing with his aircraft models simulating an aerial battle, switched his attention to the new student. Adjusting his glasses, he squinted his eyes and suspicion overcame him: a new student, coincidentally arriving when the reports of an enemy invasion and a giant robot fighting on the city had started to spread. His conspiratorial mind began to race and he started to mutter to himself:

" _Hmm, there were rumors that the robot required a pilot, so with that, it wouldn't be a robot, but a mecha, and it would have to be incredibly advanced, and if i had someway to get information from NERV, man, it would be so cool but dad never talks about his work and i don't have any leads and…"_

A student sitting beside the muttering geek stared at the boy looking like a maniac whispering to himself. When Kensuke noticed it, he quickly turned his head the other way and began whistling, acting as if nothing had happened.

As the entire room whispered about the newcomer, Shinji took a good look at the classroom itself: it was larger than his old one, with enough room for twenty or thirty students. Weirdly enough, less than half of the desks were occupied, making the place somewhat empty. Shinji deduced it was because of the Angel Invasion, with many families and students moving to another town or school, only NERV personnel and their closed ones left. He wouldn't doubt that almost all of his new colleagues' parents or guardians worked at the Geofront, from technicians and scientists to security force.

Naturally, he was a bit nervous: he always felt like this when arriving at new places and meeting new people. But eventually, he would settle in and the uneasiness would fade: being polite and friendly to most of people, he would blend in the crowd, and maybe make some acquaintances among it.

While analysing the classroom, he noticed that not all of the students were unknown to him, as a girl with blue hair sat on the room's far left chair row, glued to the window.

Rei Ayanami had an expression of complete and utter disinterest, her hand on her chin as she gazed outside the window. The sunlight bursting from it made it impossible to make out a view, but she stared nonetheless, completely oblivious to the ruckus on the classroom.

A loud and commanding voice hushed the classroom to be quiet, but Shinji couldn't identify its origin: he was ignoring the room around him and staring at the bluenette, curiosity in his eyes.

After the one-sided conversation they had that morning, Shinji couldn't help but feel curious. The girl was a mystery. From her disinterest way of talking, to her odd appearance, she emanated an strange _aura_. Her marble white skin, albino red eyes and light blue hair made her different from anyone he had ever met. The boy assumed she dyed the hair, similarly to Dr. Akagi, but something told him that she wasn't the type of girl that would do something of the sort.

The truth was that she was beautiful. Shinji's hormones wouldn't deny it. Her soft pale skin reflected the sunlight, making her seemingly glow, and her delicate face looked like a perfect statue.

But even so, there was something… _familiar_ about her, even if he couldn't pinpoint exactly why he felt like that. He had been attracted to other girls he had met priorly, but it was something a bit more primal and hormone induced, something most people would classify as 'romantic'. What Shinji felt looking at Rei was different. It was like he had already seen her before they even met.

His thoughts were interrupted when a girl suddenly stepped in front of him, politely introducing herself.

"Nice to meet you, Ikari-san. My name is Hikari Horaki, I'm the class representative of 2-A. Welcome to our class", she said, giving him an welcoming smile.

The class representative was a bit shorter than Shinji, with brown hair done in pigtails and freckles doting her simple face. She held herself in a upright posture, clearly taking her duties seriously, and patiently waited for Shinji to stop staring at Ayanami, something she had noticed he had been doing for a few seconds now. Even if the blue haired girl never spoke to anyone and was extremely reserved, Hikari could understand how the sight of her could make people stop for a second.

Hikari cleared out her throat. Shinji blink twice, finally paying attention to the girl in front of him.

"Oh, of course, nice to meet you, Hikari-san", he said, smiling and trying to not give away his earlier distraction.

"We were told you'd be coming, so i already passed on the principal's office and got your notes and your laptop", she continued, delivering him a envelope and the computer she mentioned. "You can sit anywhere you like."

"Ok, thank you", he responded, nodding and smiling. After Hikari walked off, he began to look for a place to sit: there were many empty chairs, so there wouldn't be a problem finding one.

Unintentionally, his gaze led towards the left side of the room, close to where Ayanami sat. She kept looking at the window, uninterested on the world around her. Shinji considered sitting near her, but gave up on the idea: he didn't want to bother her, as she clearly had no intention of speaking to him.

Instead, he decided on a chair right in the middle of the room, putting his bag on the ground and placing the laptop on the table. After he sat down, he noticed that a few were still stealing glances at him, but most of the class had returned to their usual tasks, that being chatting and sleeping. The teacher had begun his lecture, something about how things were before Second Impact, 15 years ago. Shinji began to understand why many were snoring with their heads against the table, as he had never listened to a class so boring.

After a while, he began to feel a chill on the back of his head, like someone was watching him. He looked to his sides, but seeing no one looking at him, he shrugged it off, returning to the difficult task of paying attention to the teacher.

* * *

A few chairs behind Shinji, Kensuke Aida's eyes tore holes on the back of Shinji's neck, his mind coming up with thousands of theories about the new kid and his clearly obvious involvement with the giant robot seen weeks before.

He got interrupted when the door was suddenly opened, and everyone's attention turned to it. There stood a brown haired boy, wearing a blue sports jacket instead of the regular school uniform.

"Sorry for the delay, teacher", he said in a tired voice, hinting that he didn't really care if the teacher would forgive him or not. He entered the room, hands on his pockets.

"Ah, Mr. Suzuhara. Decided to join us, after all?", the teacher asked him with severity.

"I had family stuff to do, ain't gonna happen again", he said waving his hand dismissively. The man simply frowned a bit, before returning to his lecture.

Toji Suzuhara found his chair and dropped his bag on the table, taking a look around as he sat. His chair was close to Kensuke's, who had just pulled his handheld camera from his backpack, messing with the device.

"Damn, school's population dropped or something?", Toji asked his colleague and friend.

"Yep. Most moved away or got relocated since the attack", Kensuke answered, putting his camera down when he noticed a freckled girl approaching them.

She went straight to Toji, a fact that made the sand haired boy sigh in relief. The class representative crossed her arms and gave Toji a serious look.

"Suzuhara, where were you? You missed a week of class! Were you skipping class?", she asked him in a demanding way. Then turned to Kensuke, to his dismay. "Aida! Weren't you supposed to deliver him his notes?"

"Oh? I, uh, I forgot", he said awkwardly, and tried to change the subject back to Toji. "Anyway, where were you, man? You got hurt or something?"

Toji scratched the back of his neck, sighing. "Nah, I was visiting my sister. She got stuck in some rubble on the attack. She survived, but she's been stuck in the hospital ever since."

"Shit, I'm sorry, Toji", Kensuke said, feeling for his friend.

Hikari's eyes widened. "Oh my god. I'm sorry, Suzuhara, I didn't knew."

"It's fine", the jock answered, crossing his arms and trying to act tough. But the weight of all of that was beginning to take its toll on him. "Dad and grandpa are busy working at the lab, so i have to visit her. Don't wanna leave her alone in that place."

This time, Hikari felt a tug in her heart. She had approached the boy accusing him of skipping class, while all he did was care for his hurt sister. A feeling of guilt overcame her, so she tried to fix the situation.

"I-I'm sorry, Suzuhara. I simply came here, accusing you of...I'm really sorry", she said, lowering her head, ashamed.

Toji simply snickered. "It's ok , class representative. I'll try to not miss any classes anymore, I promise", he said, smiling softly.

For some reason, after listening to Toji's words and looking at him smiling, the girl's cheeks went red and her eyes widened. She muttered another ' _i'm sorry'_ and rushed to her seat.

Kensuke sighed again in relief, while Toji was dumbfounded by the girl's behaviour. He simply shrugged and returned to his conversation with his friend.

"Truth is, it's all that robot's fault! Who the hell was piloting it?", he said, frowning deeply. Weren't the military supposed to be professionals? Did they put some idiot on charge of the robot?

Kensuke suddenly leaned on his friend, trying to be discreet. "Yeah, about that: you heard of the new student's transfer?"

Toji looked at his friend with a confused look. "What transfer student?"

Kensuke looked straight ahead, nodding his head in that direction. Toji followed his friend's gaze, and saw a dark brown haired boy sitting a few chairs in front of them. He was apparently taking notes in his notebook, not paying attention to his surroundings.

Toji still didn't understand what Kensuke meant. "Yeah, so what of it?"

Kensuke squinted his eyes, trying to look serious. "He arrived today, a few days after the battle. Don't you think it's strange? Gotta be some connection", he assumed.

Toji would usually dismiss his friend's conspiracy theories and deductions, was he was always prone to look too much into stuff needlessly. But this time, and with all the pent up anger inside him, he decided to pay attention to Kensuke's words. He took a good look at the new student, suspicion on his eyes.

He didn't knew if it was true, of course. But if it was, that kid was going to pay for it.

* * *

Even if the lecture was as boring as it was, Shinji decided it was not a good idea to doze off in the middle of the class. He wasn't exactly an exemplar student, as he always had difficulty with math and chemistry, but that didn't meant that he was a bad one at that.

After figuring out how the laptop worked, he had started to take notes on the class. It was mostly about the disaster that had hit the world 15 years ago. The teacher described how a comet collided with earth's south pole, causing massive destruction and melting most of the world's ice caps. With that, half of the world's population got killed, and the survivors were faced with starvation and wars exploding here and there.

Shinji was aware of these events: even his uncle, far from being an old boring man as his teacher was, sometimes would tell him about things back then, with a small hint of nostalgia. Of course, his explanations were way more interesting.

He heard a sudden noise coming from his computer, and a exclamation point appeared on his screen. Confused, he remembered he hadn't checked out the school's network messenger, something most students would probably use to have some distraction during class.

As he didn't had any problem with that apparent transgression of the school's rules (as he was curious himself), he simply clicked the message and read it.

A simple question: _"Is it true that you are that robot's pilot? Y/N"._

Shinji's eyes widened. Where did they hear that? His post as EVA Pilot wasn't common knowledge, so how did people figured it out?

And at his first day of school, at that. It was probably because he had shown up right after the Angel's attack, something that apparently didn't went unnoticed. Shinji sighed and looked around him, trying to find out who had sent the message.

Most people were with their head entrenched on their own computers, so at first he couldn't find any suspect. Eventually, he turned on his chair and saw two girls giggling on the back, looking at him with smiles and a questioning look. One of the girls started to type.

Another message: _"It's you, isn't it? Y/N"_

Shinji stared at the screen and began to reflect on the situation. ' _I suppose that i shouldn't tell anyone about that, right?',_ he asked himself.

The Evangelion was a military secret… technically. It seemed that everyone around him already knew about it, as a world crushing battle like had happened last week was fairly easy to notice.

He tried to remember if anyone had told him something about that, if he had actual permission to talk about it. Misato probably had told him something about it.

But the only thing that came to memory for him was his guardian saying something like ' _you have no idea how much of a something-magnet you will be'._ He forgot what it was, specifically, but he interpreted as the woman's way of saying ' _enjoy your fame'_.

' _No, this is wrong. She puts her trust in me, i shouldn't betray it like that. And Misato is always saying strange stuff, anyway',_ he thought, typing the word 'NO' on the laptop.

As he was about to press ENTER, another thought came to his mind: he was lying to the class, just like that.

He knew deep inside that eventually everyone would discover his identity, and would probably be resentful of him for it. Maybe not _resentful_ , but bothered at him, at least. He considered typing _'That is classified',_ but that would be like putting a big sign on his head reading 'I AM THE PILOT'.

Weighing his options, he sighed again and typed 'YES'. It wouldn't hurt to have some recognition, right? Not that he wanted to become the class' superstar, he just was curious to see how people would react.

He pressed ENTER.

Nothing happened.

He looked around him waiting for some reaction, but nothing came. Shinji sighed, half from relief, half from disappointment.

' _Don't be stupid, this is better than having everyo…'_

"WHAAT?!", a unison of loud voices burst out of nowhere, startling the boy. Shinji looked around again, and noticed that the whole class was staring at him with their mouths open.

In a second, he was swarmed by a pack of boys and girls, shooting a million questions at the same time:

" _How is robot?"_

" _Does it have a name?"_

" _How is it inside the cockpit?"_

" _Does it have any special moves?"_

Shinji almost panicked at the amount of people shoving their faces at him, all thirsty for some tidbit about the EVA. Some were trying to squeeze themselves between other students to have a better look at him and to hear his answers.

"Everyone back at your seats! We're still in class!", yelled Hikari Horaki, in vain. She had suspicions about the new student herself, but her duties came first, obviously. Even if she was a little bit curious.

Rei Ayanami remained unfazed, but listened to the conversation. If Pilot Ikari communicated any classified information, she would have to report it to the Commander.

As for the teacher, he seemed to not even notice, still rambling about Second Impact.

Shinji decided to answer the questions in the vaguest way possible, trying to do some damage control. He couldn't simply spill the beans about power cables, progressive knives, pellet rifles and such. He did his best:

"Well, it's name is Evangelion, or Unit-01", he told the crowd, grudgingly.

Kensuke Aida, hearing the conversation from a few chairs back, typed.

"There is another, actually, Unit-00, but i've never seen it", he continued, upon hearing someone asking if there were more robots.

Kensuke Aida typed harder.

"Ok class, let's give him some air, please", said a feminine voice behind the crowd.

' _Come on, class representative, let him answer some more questions! This is importa…',_ Kensuke thought, before noticing that the voice was not Hikari's. He raised his head, and his eyes widened when he saw the voice's origin.

Aiko Chihiro, along with a pack of girls, made her way to the front of Shinji's desk. The crowd stepped back to give her room, as if she was some kind of ruler, something that wasn't that far from reality: she was extremely popular, not only in her class, but among every middle school class on the place.

Shinji, even if he wasn't aware of it at that moment, could notice why: black hair, tall figure and pretty face with a small smile, she was something to look at, no doubt. She spoke to Shinji directly while everyone watched the scene like it was a show.

"My name is Aiko Chihiro. Nice to meet you, Ikari-kun", she said, smiling maliciously. The crowd whispered and went "Ohhhh…" for a bit, surprised to see the most beautiful girl in the school introducing herself to the newcomer.

Shinji, on his part, was downright _nervous._ He didn't had much experience with the opposite sex, but actually managed to be nice and friendly.

"Nice to meet you, Chihiro-san", he said, softly bowing his head and smiling. Maybe his smile was a bit too compressed, as he was forcing every cell on his body to not make him stutter, but nobody noticed anything.

"You can call me Aiko-chan", the girl responded, winking at resulted in even more 'Ohhhh's from the crowd. They had _never_ seen Aiko do something like that: simply walking up to a boy and talking so nicely to him, a fact known to almost every boy in the school. Many Love Letters were sent her way, and all were ignored.

"Uh, all right… Aiko-chan", said Shinji, still nervous. More 'Ohhhh's.

He hadn't had many situations with beautiful girls talking so nicely with him before, so he was trying to hold himself together the best he could. The girl didn't make it easy.

The bell rang, but the class barely heard it, still enthralled at the situation. As for Aiko, she simply lifted her head, sighing.

"Well, I should go. Maybe we could talk some other time, Shinji-kun?", she asked him in a sweet tone, before smiling once again at him. He almost had an heart attack at that, his hormones working like never before.

Aiko left, followed by a pack of giggling girls. This gave some time for Shinji to recompose, before he got up and left the class himself, his mind a blank after that event.

Toji Suzuhara, who had heard the entire conversation, frowned and gritted his teeth. He got up, preparing to leave.

"Come on, 'Suke, let's go", he ordered his friend, walking ahead fast.

"What? Hey man, wait up!", Kensuke responded, confused at his friends outburst.

* * *

Shinji checked his golden watch for the time, and concluded that he still had time enough to catch the train. The problem now was figuring out which train he had to catch.

He was interrupted by a yell behind him. "Hey, you!", a masculine voice yelled.

He ignored, presuming whoever it was wasn't referring to him. But the voice became closer, to the point where he couldn't doubt it was calling him.

A more self-centered side of his brain brought up the following thought: _'Oh no, what if someone got bothered that Aiko talked to me? Maybe a jealous boyfriend'._ He quickly dismissed that thought (deeming it ridiculous) and turned around to see who it was.

Instead, he felt a sudden and stinging pain on the left side of his face, enough to make him fall to the ground.

Someone had punched him.

He put his hand on his face, trying to ease the pain, and raised his head to see who had done it: a tall boy dressed in a blue tracksuit, who was at this moment cracking his knuckles, ready for more. His previous theory almost surfaced back.

"Wha… Why did you…?", he asked in a surprised and hurt tone.

The boy glared at him. "This is for hurting my little sister, you asshole", he simply said, and turned back to leave.

There was another boy there, with light brown hair and wearing glasses, who approached him, an apologetic smile on his face.

"Sorry about that. His sister got hurt during the attack, so he had to vent it", he explained. Kensuke thought about asking some stuff about the Evangelion Unit, but assumed that the new kid was in too much shock to answer it. He turned and prepared to follow Toji.

Shinji was in shock, yes, but for a different reason.

Someone got hurt in the attack. And it was his fault.

Misato had lied. She said nobody was hurt.

Shinji gritted his teeth, shaking with guilt. He had failed to fight the Angel, and the EVA mysteriously had gotten up and finished the fight. But if he had stayed conscient, he could've avoided any casualties. That boy's little sister wouldn't be hurt. If he had been better, nobody would've been hurt.

It wasn't his wish to pilot the Evangelion. He felt pain in there. He felt fear, facing creatures he couldn't even comprehend. He could leave, if he wanted to. He could just call Misato and tell her that he was done. That he couldn't do it. It was too much for him. He was afraid.

If he did that, she would think of him as a coward. Everyone would. Even his father. Specially his father. But the reason he didn't do it wasn't that.

It was because the people he knew were worth being protected. Uncle Akira, Misato, Dr. Akagi, Rei and… even his father. He didn't wished death upon him, even with all that had happened. None of them deserved to die.

That was his duty: to prevent the death of everything and everyone he cared about. If he piloted, he had the chance, the opportunity to fight back and protect them.

But they weren't the only people that needed protection: that boy's little sister got hurt. Because he wasn't good enough. He got payback for that.

He would have to do his best so that wouldn't happen again. Not only because people would hate or despise him, but there were people that depended on him, grudgingly or not.

One of those people was in front of him, walking away angrily.

Shinji raised his body with his arms, and looked at the tall boy. He brought his sincere feeling and mouthed it in a phrase:

"I'm sorry", he said.

The tall boy stopped on his tracks. He quickly turned around and walked back at the fallen Shinji, grabbing him by his shirt's collar. He was furious.

"What did you say?!", he asked, anger in his voice.

Shinji looked him in the eyes, seeing that resentment. He felt that he should get used to it.

"I'm sorry i hurt your sister. I wasn't good enough.", Shinji, said, sighing. "I'm really sorry."

Toji looked at the pilot that he hated so deeply in front of him: his eyes were full of regret. There was no lie in them.

Toji honestly didn't knew what he had expected of him. If he was cocky and arrogant, it would be a joy to beat the shit out of the new student. He hated that kind of people anyway.

But looking at Shinji's eyes, he saw sincerity. There was no cocky attitude, no shit eating grin constantly on his face. Only a boy offering him his sincerest apology.

Toji lifted his fist. Shinji didn't flinch: he was prepared to receive another. For long seconds, he held his hand up in the air, his mind trying to figure out if it was worthy.

Something inside of Toji that didn't understand made him lower the fist. He released the grip on Shinji's shirt, making the boy fall sitting on the ground. He turned back and walked away.

Kensuke looked at Shinji perplexed for a moment, before approaching him.

"So, uhh, I'm Kensuke, nice to meetcha. Maybe sometime you could tell me stuff about the EVA, huh?", he said, smiling awkwardly. Then, looked back to see if Toji was too far away. "See ya!", he said, before taking off.

Shinji stayed there, sitting in the grass. For a few seconds, he watched as the two boys made their way out of the school and into the street. Shinji reflected for a moment, gathering his thoughts.

He felt a vibration on his pocket, at the same time that a shadow came to his field of vision. Raising his head, he discerned the shape of Rei Ayanami, obfuscated by the setting sun and still covered in bandages.

"We are needed at NERV. An Angel was sighted", she said in a dull tone, before taking off as well.

Shinji stayed on the ground until the phone stopped buzzing, looking at the girl with blue hair walking away. After she was gone he got up, dusting himself off, and started to make his way to NERV. He gazed at his hand for some time while walking, before closing it in a grip and moving foward.

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** Awww shit, it seems that I couldn't exactly keep that promise about the size of each chapter, as I was busy for the last month and that's what i had time to write.

But fret not, fret not, as I'll begin to use my freetime more wisely, so you guys will have constant chapters (even if smaller ones), which will make this fic a mess of varied sizes of chapters.

Anyway, Evangelion's School life. The truth is that i'm a sucker for school comedy, so I enjoyed a lot of more slice of life EVA moments. I plan to write moments like that, as my objective with this fic is to try and flesh out the character's lives a little bit more.

Also: if you enjoyed it or you have any criticism, **please leave a review and favorite the story.** It's the fuel that makes me keep writing.

See you guys next chapter.


	7. The Morning Sound

**Disclaimer: I do not own Neon Genesis Evangelion or The Rebuild of Evangelion.**

* * *

 **NEON GENESIS**

 **EVANGELION: SUBSTANCE**

 **Episode 7:**

" **The Morning Sound"**

* * *

 **(5:43 PM, Central Dogma)**

" **An special stage of emergency has been declared for the Kanto and Chubu regions surrounding the Tokai district. All civilian and resident personnel must evacuate to their designed shelter immediately", announced the robotic voice over the comms.**

"Assume battlestations, level one", ordered Commander Ikari, already on his post inside Central Dogma.

He had arrived a few minutes after the the Angel was sighted. Misato, Ritsuko and all combat personnel were ready, with Captain Katsuragi shouting orders here and there. A screen with visual feedback was opened, but there was no clear view of the Angel yet.

If there was something that bothered Gendo Ikari about the spawn of Adam, it was their unpredictability: there was no way of knowing when and where one would appear, and NERV had to work in a tight schedule, always being prepared to be in the defensive. As for the reasons why they always attacked Tokyo-3 and nowhere else, only him and a select bunch knew the exact reason, buried deep in the depths of Terminal Dogma.

Fuyutsuki and Ritsuko knew, of course: Ritsuko was an important piece on the game. He only had to motivate her sometimes, as a way of guaranteeing her absolute loyalty. He gave her what she wanted, and vice versa.

He noticed Dr. Akagi glancing at him from the platform below, too far from him to analyse her exact expression. Gendo ignored it.

The old professor stood behind him, as he always had. He didn't question the man's loyalty: he had been there from the beginning. His objectives were the same as his, and he knew that working with Gendo was the best way to achieve them. Even if he didn't agree completely with his plans.

If for some reason he had given up on Gendo's purpose, the professor would've already put a bullet in his head a long time ago.

There was another person who knew, someone he hadn't seen in almost ten years.

Akira had told Gendo that he didn't wanted any part on what he was doing: a blatant lie. The Commander knew of his connection with the government, probably even SEELEE. He would have no reason for having ties like that if he wasn't interested.

In time, Akira would be needed, as his knowledge of biophysics was almost on the same level of Ritsuko. His early work on Gehirn was proof of that. And the man could hardly refuse: if Gendo requested his help, SEELEE would force him to go as a double agent. Besides that, he was aware of the bond his brother had formed with his son. Akira had always been prone to weakness.

No time for that, though. "Have the Pilots arrived?", he asked sternly for everyone to hear.

"We already sent cars for them. They should be here in no time, Commander", answered Captain Katsuragi.

The Commander gave no response, so she simply turned her attention back to the visual feeds. The Angel was still too far away for the UN to lay suppressive fire on it, so at least they had time before the Pilots got there.

Shinji would have to fight that thing alone: Rei still wasn't in condition to pilot. She crossed her arms and sighed. Another fight the boy would have to fight without backup.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the comm buzzing. The Central Dogma comm only accepted emergency calls, so she was a bit surprised. She pressed the button to answer it.

"Yes?"

* * *

 **(5:35 PM, Streets of Tokyo-3)**

Rei Ayanami ran as fast as she could through the empty streets. The alarms were blazing on every corner of the city, urging her. She wondered if Pilot Ikari was also on the move behind her, but made no move to check. She was having difficulty running with the patches and bandages on her arm, but she ignored it and kept going on.

Something got her attention, making her stop on her tracks: A faint sound, like the sound a single VTOL or aircraft would usually make. She thought this was improbable: the JSSDF aerial strike teams wouldn't come with a single plane, as it was tactically inefficient. She looked upwards, trying to find the source of the lone aircraft.

She heard another sound: some kind of voice, echoing between the city. She turned around, trying to look for its origin, but found no clue. Looking upwards once again, she only saw the dark blue and orange of the setting sun.

The sound fade away and the silence returned, save for the cicadas and alarms audible far away. The wind rustled the girl's blue and white clothes, and she found herself gazing at the sky, her worries about getting to NERV disappearing for a second. She was still injured, so the presence of Pilot Ikari was more important than her own. She should've waited for him, to make sure he would arrive safely. If he didn't, she would pilot Unit-00 anyway, but the Commander wanted efficiency, something that the boy would be able to provide in his current healthy state.

She started to run again, now that she couldn't hear any odd sounds anymore. The nearest NERV pick-up point was still a few blocks away, but she didn't mind running. She focused on her task, removing any other distraction from her head. Or trying.

Pilot Ikari. The Commander had spoken close to nothing about her fellow pilot, and judged that she didn't had to hear any more information. He only instructed her to report any behaviour that would compromise his ability to pilot. One of such occurrences had happened a few minutes earlier: the pilot had engaged in a physical struggle with another student.

She had watched it from afar, and it had seemed that Ikari had no wish to fight back. She didn't understand why he would do something foolish like that: maybe he thought that if he didn't reacted, the aggressor would give up on the aggression and walk away? That seemed like the case, as the other student (Suzuhara, if she remembered it correctly) had done just that.

But she also noticed that Ikari's expression was not one of fear. Even if her knowledge of human behaviour wasn't very deep, she could recognize the fearful look of a cornered person or animal. The look on the boy's eyes was something different. She didn't understand it.

The reason for the fight was known to her, though: apparently, Suzuhara's sister was injured during the fight against the Angel, an accident that the boy blamed on Ikari. Pointless: hurting the pilot would no nothing to ease the girl's health state. The list of things she didn't understand about that incident grew.

She heard that echoing sound again.

This time, Rei stopped on her tracks and looked around her, determined to find the source of it. If the noise was from the approaching Angel, she would have to pick up her pace and start running now. Angels were an unknown enemy: she didn't had any notion of how each of them would be or behave like. She would report anything suspicious to the Commander.

It sounded like… a voice. And it was getting closer. She kept searching.

Suddenly, she could tell that it came from above her. At the same time, a large shadow loomed over her from behind, making the blue haired girl turn around to face it.

"GET OUT OF THE WAY!", she heard the voice say, now closer than ever.

When Rei turned around, she saw something coming on her direction _fast_. On instinct, she jumped to the side to avoid being hit, leaning on the building wall to ease the impact. Speaking of impacts, she turned to look at what exactly had almost bumped into her.

All she could see was a large piece of cloth wobbling on the ground, and something below it trying to rid itself from the thing. Rei was unusually curious, causing her to step forward: apparently it was a parachute, and whoever was using it had almost landed on top of her. The question now was: who was that?

In case it was someone trying to do harm on her, she pulled out her phone, ready to issue an alarm. The Commander had instructed her to be wary of any person who might be hostile, even if she knew she was expendable. Another would take her place.

Even so, dying in vain because of carelessness on her part was unnecessary. She waited.

From below the parachute, a girl came: Rei could slowly define her brown hair, tied in twin tails. Standing up, she dusted her clothes: they consisted in a chess-like skirt and white buttoned shirt, with a black tie contrasting it. Around her body, a strap was holding a brown bag, big enough to carry clothes or things of that sort. Rei noticed that the girl was a few centimeters taller than her, but not enough to tower the bluenette.

The strange girl seemed to be a little dizzy, looking around with squinted eyes and leaning to search for something on the street.

"Shit, where's my glasses?", she asked herself, sighing.

Rei lowered the phone, confused by the scene. She would've stayed there looking confused by the bizarre sight of a parachuting girl losing her glasses, but decided that there was no time. She considered just turning and leaving, ignoring the girl, but something inside of her didn't liked that option. She decided to help.

Looking around, she found the pair of glasses just behind the crawling girl. She made her way around her, cautious for any sudden moves, and picked the object on the ground. The left side was cracked, but other than that, it was in perfect conditions.

She extended the object to the brunette. "Your glasses", she simply said, wanting to get it over with.

The girl on the ground turned her head on the direction of Rei's voice, eyes still squinted from bad sight, and cracked a smile.

"Yeah, uh, can you help me find it?", she asked.

Rei raised an eyebrow. Perhaps her vision was worse than she thought. She hesitated for a few seconds, before approaching the girl and almost sticking the pair of glasses on her face.

"They are right here", she explained.

The girl slowly reached for the object, putting it on and standing up. She blinked a few times to get used to the light, but when she did, she sucked her teeth and raised her eyebrows. Rei was confused by the reaction.

"Damn, this was my favorite one", she said sadly, clearly referring to the damaged glass. "Guess I'll have to get a new one."

After getting used to her surroundings, she noticed the blue haired girl standing right in front of her, a neutral expression on her face. The brunette gave her an apologetic smile.

"Did I land on you? Sorry about that. I did warn you, though", she said, snickering at the last part.

Rei simply looked at her, no clear expression on her face. The other girl started to get a bit creeped out, but before she could say anything else, Rei cut her off.

"Who are you and where have you come from?", she asked bluntly.

The brunette looked at her with wide eyes for a few seconds, surprised by the coldness of the girl. Then, she mouthed an 'Oh' and started to ruffle her pocket. Rei raised her guard in case the stranger would pull out something dangerous, but she only drawed a plastic card.

A NERV plastic card.

"About the first question, my name is Mari Illustrious Makinami. Glad to meet you", she said, puffing her chest in mocking pride.

Rei didn't reacted to it, to Mari's disappointment. She continued:

"I'm an EVA Pilot, the Fourth Child and etc, etc, all those boring designations", she said, showing the card to Rei. It showed a few informations about the girl, like height, weight and name. On the side, a picture of the girl, probably a few years younger, smiling mischievously. "As to where I came from… well, from all around, Blue." She completed.

Rei was naturally suspicious of the girl, but hearing how she had called her got the blue haired girl confused. "Blue?", she asked.

Mari pointed her finger towards her head. "Yeah, y'know, your hair and all that. Pretty cute", she explained, smiling.

Rei was about to show her dissatisfaction with her nickname, but Mari suddenly perked up her nose. She sniffed for a second before stomping on Rei's direction. She stopped and brought her face to Rei's own, still sniffing, something that made the bluenette's eyes wide in surprise. Mari smiled again.

"Ohh, I like that smell. You're a pilot too, aren't you?", she asked, clearly excited.

Before Rei could answer, they heard a screeching sound right behind Mari. Both turned to look at a black car speeding towards them, right before it stopped on its side and two suited man emerged. Both pointed guns at Mari.

"Step away from the Pilot!", shouted one.

Mari simply looked at them with wide eyes, before raising her hand.

"Oh, you guys must be Section 2 goons. Nice to meet you", she innocently said.

"We said, _step away",_ they repeated, annoyed.

"You see this?", she said, shaking her NERV card for them to see. "I'm the Fourth Child. You know, a pilot?", she said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Both man looked at eachother, taken aback by what the girl said. One of them approached carefully, gun pointed at Mari (a fact that made her simply snort), and picked the card from her hand. He checked it for a few seconds, before turning his attention to the girl.

"Where did you come from? Why weren't we told of this?", he asked sternly. If he had shoot a Pilot by accident, there would be hell to pay. He winced internally at that thought.

"Well, just came by VTOL", she said, point at the abandoned parachute on the street with her thumb. "It was kind of a flash transfer, see?", she said, amused by her own joke. The agent grunted.

Behind them, Rei analysed the strange girl: there was something odd about her, no doubt. She behaved like a child, not even taking guns pointing at her seriously, and seemed to be relaxed about everything.

Rei remembered that there was no time to waste, so she called the agent's attention. "If an Angel was sighted, I recommend we haste", she told him.

The agent looked at her with squinted eyes. It was no secret to Section 2 that the girl who was always beside the Commander was _strange_ , a fact that didn't earned her many points for them. It was their job to take care of her safety, other than the Commander's son, but they were not happy about that. She was right, thought.

But right now, he needed to take care of another problem. "Nijima, call Central Dogma and confirm this girl's identity. The name is Mari Makinami Illustrious", he told his partner, who pulled out his walkie-talkie. He then turned back at Mari. "You stay still", he ordered.

Mari simply snorted and shrugged, crossing her arms as she waited the agents to finish their checking.

 **(5:45 PM, Central Dogma)**

* * *

"Yes?", Misato asked.

"Captain, we found the First Child, but there's… a complication", the agent announced, sighing over the phone.

Misato frowned, confused. "Complication? What do you mean?"

"There someone else here. A girl, claiming to be a pilot. The Fourth Child", he explained.

Misato's eyes widened. She heard about the pilot who was training with Asuka on the German Branch, but had never actually met her. Thing is, what was she doing _here_?

Akagi approached the comm, pushing Misato lightly. "Mari Makinami Illustrious. We were told a few days ago that she would be coming", she told the agent.

The agent on the other line was silent for a few seconds, before asking: "Should we bring her to Central Dogma?"

"Yes, you should. And fast", Akagi ordered, before closing the comm. She turned to Makoto Hyuga, one of the technicians.

"Has the Third Child arrived yet?", she asked.

"Almost, ma'am. They already picked him up and crossed Gate D. They should arrive in two minutes", he told the Head Scientist. She only nodded.

Misato turned to her friend, a confused look on her face. "Why wasn't I told of her transfer?"

Ritsuko had leaned on the console which Maya Ibuki had been working on, analysing some data.

"There was no need. It was sudden, to say the least", she explained, barely paying attention to the Captain. "Besides, we need a spare pilot for Unit-00 while Rei is injured".

Truth is, the destruction of Bethany Base was not known on every circle of NERV. She only knew that the girl had been stationed there for a few months, testing a Provisional EVA Unit on behalf of the Bethany Branch. Her transfer to Tokyo-3 had been sudden, but the Commander couldn't simply discard able Pilots like that, so he approved it and the girl was carried by VTOL from there.

Misato gasped. "Unit-00? But we still don't know if it will work properly!", she exclaimed. "Last time someone piloted, it went berserk!"

Ritsuko frowned and sighed. "Misato, we need every operational EVA on the field. This is no time for caution", she explained. "The only reason Rei is not piloting is because we have Shinji to operate an EVA with normal efficiency. Rei is not an asset we can afford to lose."

Misato frowned again. "That's cold, Ritsuko. I think you've been spending too much time on the labs. You see everything as numbers now", she said, a hint of accusation on her voice.

Ritsuko looked at her long-time friend for a few seconds, before smiling ironically. "You're right about that last part. Wonder how my cats are doing", she responded, pondering. "In any case, we need Mari. Another operational pilot is worth gold right now."

"I'll take your word for it", said Misato, looking at the console where Makoto Hyuga worked. "What's the status on the EVA's?", she asked the young technician.

Makoto brought up two holographic screens in front of him, each showing one of the Units. "Unit-01 had received extensive damage on the battle against the Third Angel, but it was mostly on the lost arm, which we have already regenerated. You can ask Dr. Akagi about the details.", he explained. Ritsuko snorted lightly at the notion of explaining biophysics to Misato .

"Yeah, in your dreams", the Captain responded the doctor's humour with mocking indignation. "Go on, Makoto", she continued, leaning on the man for better view of the screen.

Mokoto stiffed himself at the Captain's proximity, but managed to continue. "As for Unit-00, we repaired it to full functionality. No problems on that end."

"Only we couldn't find the reason behind the whole 'berserk' thing. Good thing we have a team of amazing nerds to look into that, huh?", intruded Shigeru Aoba, sitting on the chair next to Makoto. The man always seemed to have a snarky remark about everything, which annoyed some of his co-works sometimes, other than his supposed musical talents he used to brag about. But Makoto and Maya, knowing him for many years, were used to it, considering him a good friend.

"It's only a question of time, Aoba. Isn't that right, senpai?", Maya Ibuki retorted, looking at Ritsuko for confirmation. Her respect and admiration for the doctor wasn't any secret, at best. At worst, some people on NERV had rumours about the two, something that the Doctor simply dismissed. As for Maya, she would always deny, even if her cheeks always got red at these situations.

"Don't be so sure, Maya. The EVA's are the most complex pieces of technology ever created, so there's a lot of variables to consider. We might never understand them completely", Ritsuko answered, without taking her eyes off Maya's screen. She was analysing some data on it, not even paying attention to the technician's banter.

"Uh...of course, Dr. Akagi", said Maya, embarrassed by the lecture. The young woman sometimes felt like a student being disciplined by a teacher, that teacher being Dr. Akagi. But she respected the woman immensely nevertheless: her knowledge and professionalism was what made her the Head Scientist of NERV, after all.

Maya's attention switched when she heard a beep and a green light appearing on her console.

"Captain, Shinji has already arrived at Unit-01's cage", she announced to Misato.

Misato didn't liked the prospect of putting Shinji to fight once again. She had grown a soft spot for the boy on the last week living with him, so consciously throwing him into danger was not her favorite part of the job.

"Good. As soon as he enters the plug, open a comm channel to him, ok?", she asked Maya, who nodded in response, before returning to her tasks.

Ritsuko was a little faster than Misato, pressing a few button on the console and opening a video feed from the cages.

They saw Shinji, already dressed in his plugsuit, rushing towards the plug. An army of technicians prepared and checked the EVA for any malfunctionalities, before confirming it was safe to proceed.

Maya opened the plug video feed, and Misato saw a struggling Shinji trying to adjust a white and blue plug suit on his own body. She snickered.

"Getting used to it?", Misato asked in a playful tone.

The boy was startled by the sudden appearance of Misato's face inside the plug, but smiled at the jab.

"Well, it's a bit sticky", he answered. He tried to adjust for a few more seconds, before giving up. "Also hard to put on. Is this really necessary?"

"It is", responded Ritsuko. "The suit's tissue will help with synchronization. Don't worry, eventually it will be like a second skin."

Shinji pondered upon those last words: he would be piloting for a long time, it seemed. He sighed. "I see."

"We have a visual on the Angel. Putting on the screen now", announced Maya, pressing a few buttons.

The image on the screen depicted an already evacuated part of Tokyo-3, its buildings already underground. The sun was setting already, so the place seemed more gloomy than usual.

In the distance, they could make out the dim form of... _something_ approaching the city. From the screen, it seemed like a red blur coming towards them in high speed, apparently not even touching the ground.

Misato sucked her teeth. "It can fly?"

Ritsuko pulled a few graphs on the screens, showing the Angel's Blue Blood Pattern and any energy it was producing.

"It seems the Angel has a light hovering ability. It's extending its AT Field so it can travel faster", she explained. "Doesn't seem to be able to extend it too much, though."

Misato nodded, turning to the Commander. "Sir, can we begin the operation?", she asked the man, standing on his platform like a marble statue.

He adjusted his glasses. "Operation authorized. The target is now designated as the Fourth Angel. EVA Unit-01 will be deployed, and if the Fourth Child is able to synch with Unit-00, she will provide support", he ordered sternly.

Hearing it from inside the plug, Shinji's eyes widened in surprise. "Fourth Child? What do you mean?", he asked Misato, confused.

Before Misato could explain, Ritsuko barged in. "The Fourth Child has arrived ten minutes ago. She will pilot Unit-00 and provide you support", she told him.

Shinji frowned at the information, not knowing what to make of it. "What about Rei?", he asked.

"She is with the Fourth, they will be arriving soon. For now, we will explain you the plan", Ritsuko said, trying to not waste any time.

Misato cleared her throat. "Shinji, we will be deploying you at some distance from the Angel, giving you access to long range equipment", she explained, showing the boy a map of the battlefield. The Angel was signaled as a red dot, and the EVA's drop point was in white. "You'll use the pellet rifle and try to take it out. If you need stronger firepower, retreat to point B-13 and pick up the Vulcan Prototype. Understood?"

Shinji nodded. "Yes ma'am."

Seeing it was all good to go, she turned to the technicians. "Prepare for immediate launch!", she ordered.

Inside the plug, Shinji could hear the safety protocols clearing one for one while he waited for deployment. He breathed deeply, fidgeting his fingers in anticipation.

He would defeat the Angel, he had to make sure of it. No one would get hurt this time.

After all protocols were ready on the outside, he looked at his own hand, opening and closing it repeatedly.

"Launch is a go. Are you ready, Shinji?", Misato asked over the comm.

Shinji closed his hand in a fist, looking at Misato's face on the screen, and gave her a reassuring look.

"I'm ready", he answered.

* * *

 **(5:46 PM, Geofront)**

"Holy shit", Mari exclaimed, feeling the tremors all around her. She was running inside the corridors of the Geofront, accompanied by Rei and the two goons from Section 2. Apparently, an Angel had arrive at the same time as she did. A happy coincidence, in her mind.

"The Angel has arrived. They launched Unit-01", Rei explained dryly, running alongside her. The tremors were getting constant. It seemed the fight was already happening on the surface.

"Ohh, Unit-01 is the Third's one, right? How is it?", she asked, breathing heavily from the running.

"I don't understand your question", Rei replied, not interested in conversation.

Mari snickered at the girl, finding her behaviour amusing, to say the least. "I mean, is it strong? And what's its color?", she asked.

"Pilot Ikari has defeated the Third Angel on his own. He seems like a capable pilot", Rei explained. After a few seconds, she looked at Mari, who was raising her eyebrows, expecting more. "It's... purple", she told the girl, grudgingly.

"Purple?", Mari asked, perplexed. She gave a small whistle. "This Ikari has style, gotta say."

"Pilot Ikari didn't choose the color. He arrived after the EVA was already operational", Rei clarified to the Fourth Child. The Pilots had no word on the EVA's appearance after all, so the question was strange. It provided no tactical advantage whatsoever.

Mari laughed at the bluenette obliviousness. Interested in talking a bit more, she kept talking to Rei. "What about yours, Blue? Does it make justice to the owner?", she asked.

"It's orange in color", Rei responded. "I don't know what you mean by 'making justice'."

Mari snickered, turning left on the corridor alongside the rest. The agents behind them were apparently annoyed by their pace, slower because of all the talking. She ignore them.

"You a good pilot?", she asked Rei.

Rei was getting tired of questions, but Central Dogma was right ahead, so she indulged the strange girl's questioning.

"I have no opinion on my performance. I am ordered to Pilot, so I do", she replied.

Mari looked at Rei for a few seconds, analysing her. Many could say she was a strange girl, but this Rei was an oddball even for her standards: she didn't seem to react to any joke or remark she did, seeming way to professional for her own good. Bethmann hadn't told her much about the First Child: it seemed like she was an enigma on legs. No information, no background, no nothing.

But Mari trusted her own skills. Maybe with time, she would get to know her now fellow pilot.

"Well, I…", Mari started.

"We have arrived", Rei cut her off, right in front of a big telemetric door. The Agents accompanying her took off as soon as they arrived at the place, grumbling with each other as they went away.

The Blue haired girl grabbed her ID card and passed it on the door, instantly opening it with a green light beeping on the slider.

* * *

 **(5:46 PM, Tokyo-3)**

Shamshel, the Angel of Morning, hovered above the city, searching for its objective in the land where his brother fell. It could feel the calling, many kilometers below him. It drawn him like a magnet: the call of his progenitor, longing for the return of his spawn.

It would be a hard task: if it didn't find any ways to penetrate the dome below, it would have to start digging, destroying anything in its way.

Suddenly, something changed: the calling, the source of it, _moved_.

It was coming up, from some kind of tunnel that led to the surface. Getting closer and closer, Shamshel instinctively readied itself: the drawn it felt was coming in his direction, and the Angel was ready to face it.

Shinji felt the inertia pushing him down as the EVA was launched upwards. After a few minutes, it suddenly stopped: he was in the surface.

The boy breathed heavily, waiting for the moment when the hatch would open and he would be on the fight. He still didn't had any visual on the target, so he would have to improvise with what he had. He had done it repeatedly on the holographic simulation: center the target, then pull the switch. Quite simple.

He tried to calm his nerves, but in a second, the door was open. He could see the city sprawling in front of him, its many white and grey building buried in the Geofront below, only their tops above the ground. On his right side, the setting sun colored the view with orange light.

A few hundred meters ahead, he could see a red form hovering above the ground. As soon as the EVA was deployed, the Angel stopped and started to _stretch_ his limbs, which seemed like protuberances around his body. The creature had what it seemed like a carapace on the superior part of his body, with bizarre eye-looking appendages on its head.

The creature bended, as if it was standing up, and Shinji could see many small spider-like members on his chest, squirming around as if they had life of their own. On each sides of its head, came tentacles of light, wobbling menacingly at Unit-01.

On its chest, a red protuberant orb, shining with a dim light.

Shinji gritted his teeth, surprised by the Angel's appearance. He did _not_ expect that.

But he had a task to do, so he looked at his right side and found what he was looking for: a pellet rifle standing inside a arms building. He quickly grabbed it, before jumping from where he stood into the side of a building and taking aim at the target, using the construction as a support for the weapon.

The Angel didn't seem to do anything, simply standing there as if it didn't noticed the EVA's presence. It seemed like it was... _looking_ at him. Its posture indicated that it did not expect the EVA's presence, and was taken aback by its appearance.

Shinji hold his breath, remembering his training: centering the target, it was now aimed at the creature's head.

He squeezed the trigger.

* * *

 **(5:34 PM, Shelter 14-Kanto)**

"Toji", whispered Kensuke, nudging his friend with his index finger. "Toji."

The jock sighed in irritation, sitting on the corner of the shelter. The Angel Alarm had come out of nowhere, while the two friends were leaving the school. Suddenly, the class representative had called the entire 2-B class, with all the students following her. On the way, Kensuke kept trying to talk with him in vain: Toji was unusually moody, as if something was bothering him.

There _was_ something bothering him: that Ikari kid, the pilot. When he had heard the he was studying in the same class as him, he was so _pissed_. He would've punched him right there in the middle of the class, if it wasn't for that preppy girl Aiko and...well, he didn't wanted to make Horaki angry. She could get scary when she wanted.

After the class, he had cornered the kid and punched him good. Getting what he wanted, he simply left, the message being delivered. The thing is: that kid had the nerve to actually beg _forgiveness_. When he confronted him again, he wanted to give him another punch, just so he was clear.

He couldn't. He didn't felt any lie in Ikari. He was truly sorry about what he had done. He wasn't arrogant, or an asshole. He was simply a kid, like him and Kensuke.

This disarmed Toji. He didn't felt capable of going on. Confused, he had left the pilot alone and went away, thinking about that on the hour since that moment.

"Toji", Kensuke whispered again. "Toji."

"Dude, what is it?!", Toji almost screamed, annoyed by Kensuke's endless pokes at him.

The glass-wearing boy put his indicator in front of his mouth, urging Toji to stay quiet. "Don't be so loud, man!", he whispered. Looking at his sides, he was clearly avoiding being heard by the class representative. "I have something to tell you."

Toji frowned, not understanding what his friend meant. "Yeah? Just tell me, then, instead of poking me around like that!", said Toji, pointing his finger at Kensuke in accusation.

"Nah, but that's it: I can't speak here", Kensuke explained, once again looking around to see if anyone was listening to them.

Around the boys, everyone seemed to be simply sitting and chatting, like nothing was happening. Here and there they could hear some laughter, and the only one standing up was Hikari Horaki, checking to see if she had missed anyone when coming to the shelter.

"Whaddya mean? Just tell me already!", Toji demanded impatiently.

Kensuke shushed his friend again, putting his open hand on the side of his mouth. "Let's go to the toilet. We can speak there", he said.

Toji looked him for a few seconds, frowning. What the hell did he want?

Realising that he wouldn't give up, he sighed and raised his hand. "Oy, class representative", he called Hikari.

The girl heard the boy's calling at turned to him, a questioning look on her face. "Suzuhara? What is it?", she asked.

"We need to go to the toilet", he explained, trying to sound natural.

"Why didn't you go there before?", Hikari asked him, clearly disapproving of the carelessness of the boy.

"We reeeally need to go, class representative", Kensuke barged in, holding both hand on his down parts and looking miserable.

Hikari frowned and sighed. "Ok, fine. But be quick!", she demanded, before returning to her tasks.

Kensuke mouthed a 'Yes!' before heading out, Toji grudgingly following him.

In the urinal, both boys were relieving themselves, looking straight ahead to the wall. Kensuke turned to Toji, a serious look on his face.

"I need to see it", he simply said.

Toji slowly turned his head to Kensuke, a disgusted expression on his face.

"Dude...don't you have one too?", Toji asked, hoping his friend didn't meant what he thought he meant.

"I have one? What do you…", Kensuke started to question with a confused look, looking at his friend, before understanding what Toji meant. To that, he was disgusted too. "Nah, man, that's gross! I meant the _robot_ up there! I need to see it!", he explained.

"What? Are you crazy? We're gonna be killed! Or arrested, or...something!", Toji exclaimed, exasperated.

Kensuke turned to him again, wearing a determined expression. "We could die _right now_ , man. We're being invaded by enemies we don't even understand! I _need_ to see it at least once, or i'll regret it for the rest of my life!", Kensuke explained, despair on his eyes.

Toji grunted. "Nice priorities ya got there", he said, finishing the task at hand and washing his hands. "Fine, but if we die, I'm gonna haunt you for being so dumb."

Kensuke gave a mischievous laughter in response. "Don't worry, it'll be worth it."

"Yeah, I doubt that", Toji answered, sighing. "You got your…", he started, turning to look at his friend.

Kensuke was already messing with his handheld camera, muttering happily to himself. Toji groaned.

"Of course you do. Come on, let's get out of here", he said in defeat, walking out of the bathroom.

* * *

 **(5:47 PM, Central Dogma)**

"Hello there", Mari announced, entering the large room where NERV Operations was housed. On their level, she saw a woman with lavender hair and a red jacket, who seemed to be Misato Katsuragi, according to descriptions, alongside a blonde scientist wearing a lab coat. On the platform a level above them, a dark brown haired man sat, wearing glasses and with his hands in front of his face, an aura of intimidation around him.

Commander Ikari, she presumed. 'Why do all NERV Commanders look like assholes? Guess they come from the same factory', she thought, smiling.

Rei crossed the door alongside Mari, presenting herself. "Reporting for duty. The Fourth Child is with me", she declared.

Everyone's attention turned to them, and the woman wearing a lab coat approached the duo, examining Mari. The girl disliked the look that the woman gave her.

"So we were told", she said. "My name is Ritsuko Akagi, Head Scientist of the Japanese Branch of NERV. A pleasure", she nodded.

"Same here", Mari forced a happy response. She saw Misato Katsuragi approaching as well:

"So you're Mari, huh? Nice to meet ya", the woman greeted, a more sympathetic look on her face. Knowing a little bit about Katsuragi's personality from what the Princess had told her, she relaxed a bit more.

"And you are Misato. I've heard of you from a few...mutual acquaintances", she responded, smiling maliciously.

Misato skipped a heartbeat, realizing what the girl meant. The only person she could meant other than Asuka was…

"Er, of course, that's right", she laughed nervously. Trying to change the subject, she returned to the situation at hand. "Look, we can talk later: we just launched Unit-01, I need to oversee the operation. Ritsuko, you can take care of it, right?", she asked her scientist friend, before rushing back to the Combat Center.

"Naturally", Ritsuko responded, before approaching a console with the intent of finishing a few adjustments herself.

"Pilot Makinami", she heard a stern and deep voice calling her. She turned to see Commander Ikari speaking to her, watching her every move behind his dark glasses. "I assume you are prepared to engage in combat?", he asked.

Mari smiled, crossing her arms. "Of course, sir. I've been expecting this moments for years", she answered.

"What you expect is irrelevant", he responded, giving Mari chills on her back. His coldness was almost palpable. "What I need to know is if you are ready to receive orders and follow them thoroughly without wavering. Do you understand?"

Mari stared back at the man. It seemed that her casual approach would not work here.

"Yes, sir", she declared, mustering her professionalism. She already disliked the man immensely from that small conversation, but she would have to play her part. That was the plan.

"I see", the Commander concluded, turning his attention to Akagi. "Doctor, prepare Unit-00 immediately. The Fourth Child will pilot it and provide support to the Third."

Ritsuko nodded, but Misato turned to the Commander, doubt in her voice.

"Sir, is this wise? We don't know if her synch rate will be enough. The EVA might be unresponsive", she pleaded.

Mari definitely liked Misato. She seemed to be the only human being there. Thing is: EVA piloting was a hobby Mari enjoyed thoroughly. But the sentiment is what counted.

"It doesn't matter. She will try, or fail. There is no other option", he simply responded.

Misato winced. "Yes...sir."

Ritsuko approached Mari, signaling her to follow the woman. "Come on, we need to suit you up", she explained.

Mari smiled and opened the bag she was carrying. From there, she removed a green plugsuit, which surprised Ritsuko. "Already got one. It's a bit on the sloppy side, but it will do."

Ritsuko looked at the suit for a few seconds, before nodding. "Saves us time. Follow me", she ordered.

Before heading out, Mari heard the sounds of a fight on the big screen in front of the platforms, turning to look at it: it seemed that the Third had just started to engage the Angel, shooting volleys of fire on the target.

The girl snickered in approval: fighting at long distances was her favorite style.

* * *

 **(5:50 PM, Tokyo-3)**

Shinji squeezed the trigger, shooting a burst of bullets in the Angel's… 'head'. He wasn't sure if this tactic was as effective on that particular target. The recoil was strong, but the boy had trained intensively for it: he managed to shoot in intervals, holding the weapon firmly.

As he shot, he noticed the Angel had yet to react to the sudden attack: it was just there, standing still. 'Well, if it makes an easier target…', he thought, as he kept attacking.

Misato, who had been silent for some time, opened a comm. "Shinji, be careful with the pellet rifle. If you don't aim it correctly, you can lose the target on the cloud of smoke", she advised.

Shinji frowned. "Misato, the Angel is just standing there. It's not reacting to any of it", he remarked.

"I know, but you have to… _shit_ , look out!", Misato yelled in warning.

While Shinji was distracted, the Angel propulsed his tubular body towards the EVA, advancing head on with the intent of attacking Shinji directly.

At that sight, Shinji panicked, trying to stall the Angel's advance with more volleys of bullets. But the carelessness of his aim resulted in bullets flying everywhere, destroying building and streets alike. The boy could see the Angel's upper body, but suddenly, the creature dived on the ruined buildings, hiding in the faint cloud of smoke Shinji had formed.

" _Damn,_ i can't see him!", Shinji said in despair. He took a step back, readying himself.

He could the the sound of the creature moving through the rubble, but couldn't find where it was. He held the rifle and pointed all around, trying to find the Angel and shoot it.

" _On your left, Shinji!",_ Misato yelled over the comm.

On reflex, the boy looked over his side, seeing a red form emerging from the smoke at a high speed. Panicking, he jumped back, escaping by a scratch when a bright white tentacle swinged at him. The Angel's attack cut many of the buildings around Shinji in half, which made the boy swallow hard.

In the time it took for him to get his foothold, the Angel swinged his other tentacle, in a subsequent attack which took Shinji by surprise. The boy screamed and used the only object he could use as a shield: the pellet rifle.

The attack cut right through the weapon, which wasn't enough to halt it: the tip of the glowing tentacle hit the EVA's legs, making Shinji wince in pain. Defenseless and hurt, Shinji stepped back, trying to avoid the Angel's attacks, coming at him like a rain of needles.

"Shinji, you need to retreat to Point B-13 and retrieve the Vulcan! We will raise the protection barriers for cover, but be quick!", Misato yelled the order.

Shinji acknowledged the command and turned back, running through the many points of cover which were rising from the ground. Behind him, he could hear the Angel cutting the obstacles like they were made of paper. This made Shinji hasten, afraid of being attack from his back.

He could see the weapo a few hundred meter ahead, waiting for him to pick it up. He dodged the protection plates, extending his hand with the intention of grabbing it, turning around and finishing off the Angel.

But suddenly, he felt a stinging pain on his right heel. He winced once again in pain, and tried to run away, but he was unable to: looking down, he saw that the Angel's tentacle had impaled his foot, making him stumble on the ground, unable to get up a move forward.

Turning on his back, he saw the Angel lunging at him, ready to smash the EVA with its own weight while holding it in place with its tentacle.

Shinji gasped and held his hands up, trying to defend itself from the incoming blow.

Except it never came.

* * *

 **(5:48 PM, EVA Unit-00 Cage)**

"We will start the procedures now, Mari. Are you ready?", asked Dr. Akagi over the comm.

Mari had arrived at the cages a few seconds ago, only having a few moments to glance at the EVA whe would be piloting: an orange colossus, just as Rei had described. It stood on the pool of LCL, standing still with its one red eye overseeing all the workers around it. Its head was pointing forward, similarly to the Provisional EVA she piloted in Bethany Base, except for the lack of medieval weaponry and rail-based mobility.

Excitedly, she had jumped inside the plug while the doctor and the technicians prepped all the settings on the EVA. She was sitting there when Dr. Akagi called her over the comm.

She gave her a thumbs up. "All ready on my end, doc", she responded. Ritsuko nodded and closed the comm.

Alone with her thoughts, Mari breathed deeply. Everything was going well up to that point: She was simply another pilot arriving at the center of the war, Tokyo-3. She would have to stay incognito there, her objective being simply to observe and gather information. The device inside her had that purpose, among other ones, like measuring the effects of the EVA on her body for further analysis. It couldn't send a signal just like that, of course: NERV would pick up immediately.

That was her worry: NERV picking up the device on their scanners. Bethmann had made clear that there was no danger, of course, but she couldn't help but to feel a little bit tense.

The EVA started to fill with LCL, something that cheered up the girl a little bit: she loved that smell. It brought good memories. When the plug was filled, she breathed the liquid in gulfs, to get used to it. First time on a new Unit was something to look forward to, after all.

"Checking for signs of contamination", Akagi announced.

Mari's heartbeat accelerated, waiting for the process to be over. 'Everything's fine, just go with the flow', she thought to herself, anxious.

The machine beeped for a few seconds, analysing Mari and the EVA's body, searching for any foreign organisms or contamination inside of it.

Mari waited patiently.

A green light appeared on her screen. Everything was fine. Mari let out a sigh, relieved.

"No signs of contamination", Dr. Akagi announced. After a few seconds, she noted: "Mari, your heart rate raised a bit there. Everything's fine?"

Mari smiled mischievously from succeeding in the scan. "Just excited, that's all. Nothing better than doing some piloting", she answered.

Ritsuko's brows raised in surprise. "Well, that's a first", she said, finishing up the preparations. "We will synchronize you now, be ready."

The wall around Mari began to morph into several different colors and shapes, signaling the synch process. Eventually, she began to feel her own body synchronized with the EVA's, a feeling she missed, even if it wasn't her own Unit.

"Synch rate at…46%. Not bad for your first run on Unit-00", Ritsuko told her.

Mari smiled. "What can I say? I'm a natural. Now, let's…", she was interrupted by a sudden coldness around her, making her shudder. She heard a faint whisper in her ear, like there was something in the EVA with her.

Mari got her bearing back, looking around the plug. 'Calm down. I know I'm not Rei, but it will be just for a moment', she thought, directing her explanation at apparently no one.

The coldness became weaker, and eventually disappeared. There was no response. Mari frowned, but there was no time to investigate further.

"The synch rate dropped there, but stabilized. Are you well, Mari?", Ritsuko asked, curiosity in her voice.

Mari nodded, wanting to get it over with. "Yes, doc, it's fine", she said. Then, smiling, added: "Let's launch this baby."

Ritsuko looked over at Unit-00 with squinted eyes for a few seconds, as if trying to decipher something. Then, called the technicians on Central Dogma: "The pilot is ready, release the bolts. Launch Evangelion Unit-00", she ordered.

After hearing a few clicks, Mari suddenly felt the inertia pushing her down as the EVA bolted upwards to the surface. She would be lying if she said she didn't enjoyed it.

After a minute, the EVA stopped , inside one of the retractive cages built on the surface for EVA deployment. Mari heard Misato's voice: "Mari, you are just a few clicks from Unit-01. I need you to locate the Vulcan Prototype and help Shinji NOW", the Captain ordered.

Mari smiled at the mention of the weapon. She always loved new toys. "Aye, aye, ma'am", she responded.

When the hatch opened, the orange sunlight beamed at her, blinding her for a second before the EVA's visual interface adjusted its cameras. "Well, at least the view is nice", Mari remarked.

She jumped out, hearing the sounds of a fight right ahead: she saw the Angel, a monstrous mass of red carapace and white tentacles looming over a fallen Unit-01. Mari would whistle over the nice stylistic choices they had made for that EVA, but there was no time for that.

Rushing head on, she located the Vulcan prototype inside one of the the Arsenal Buildings, tearing it apart and grabbing the weapon right when the Angel seemed to prepare to jump on Unit-01, undoubtedly intending to smash the EVA.

Mari held the weapon firmly, as it was heavier than any Evangelion equipment she had ever held: the weapon was basically a EVA-sized minigun, with the many barrels extending as long as a building ahead. On the back, the electric rotator and ammunition clip were right below the weapon's grip. Mari had to fight the distractions once again, since she could stay hours just drooling over such firepower. 'Maybe later', she thought, smiling.

Stepping back, she readied the weapon on her hand, checking if the clip was attached correctly, and aimed at the now jumping Angel. The EVA's aiming system did its job surprisingly fast, and Mari squeezes the trigger.

After a second of rotating barrels, the weapon started to spit a shower of bullets on the leaping Angel. The sheer impact of them made the creature be thrown back to the ground, and the tentacle that held Unit-01's feet released its grip. It was free.

"Hey, Third Child! You can get up now!", Mari had to yell, the thundering sound of the minigun unabling her to hear her own voice. She kept shooting at the Angel.

She saw as Unit-01 turned its head to look at her, apparently stunned in surprise. It started to stand up, backing off away from the Angel.

A comm screen appeared in Mari's plug, showing a brown haired boy with a surprised look on his face. 'Hm, doesn't look too bad', Mari thought.

"Hello there! The cavalry has arrived, Third", she yelled, still being muffled by the constant shooting.

"You're the Fourth Child?", Shinji simply asked, looking at her with wide eyes.

Mari laughed at the boy's expression. "Yep, that's me. Mari Makinami Illustrious, a pleasure", she introduced herself, before returning to her task.

She continued to shoot at the Angel, shells the size of cars mounting on the streets below her. She noticed that the creature was too stunned to react, simply trying to get a foothold and failing because of the constant fire upon it. This gave Mari an idea.

"Look, let's get some introductions later, ok? I have something of a plan", she said, smiling.

* * *

 **(5:50 PM, Outskirts of Tokyo-3)**

"Geez, remember me to never follow any of your plans again", groaned Toji Suzuhara, climbing one of the many hills that sprawled throughout Tokyo-3. Kensuke Aida was right ahead, waving at him.

"After we get some recordings of _this_ , we won't even need any plans: we'll be loaded with a mountain of cash, my friend", Kensuke said, grinning. "Look, they're already fighting!", he pointed at the city, recording the scene and jumping with excitement.

Toji climbed a bit more and stood alongside his friend, now understanding the awe on Kensuke's voice: a massive robot was shooting intently at a _bizarre_ creature, with a red carapace and weird tentacle thing on its head.

"Damn", whispered Toji.

"You said it, buddy", snickered Kensuke, recording the fight intently.

Suddenly, the creature lunged forward, with the intent of attacking the robot. The Evangelion (or so he thought it was called) wobbled in surprise at the terrifying monster's attack, shooting around indiscriminately and forming a wall of smoke.

Toji grimaced: so that's how it was. That was what that kid was fighting, a monstrous creature that wouldn't stop at nothing to destroy the entire city. He now understood how it was to despair in the face of something like that.

He felt guilt run through him. "Shit", he muttered.

Kensuke didn't even hear his friend's comment, now focusing on the fight: the Evangelion had tried to run away from the creature after getting its weapon destroyed, but had fallen to the ground.

Suddenly, the sound of alarms blazed through the city, and one of the building between them and the fight rose from the ground.

"What the... _holy shit!"_ , yelled the excited Kensuke when he saw what came from the cage.

A yellow and white Evangelion had joined the fray, rushing towards the fight and picking up some kind of weapon from a storage building.

"What is that? No, it couldn't be… IT IS! Toji, look! It's a minigun!", Kensuke exclaimed. He kept recording, holding himself from the need of taking excited jumps. 'This is so _cool!'_ , he thought.

Toji only sighed, watching the fight. Something had stirred up inside of him: if that kid lost, they would be all dead. His sister was hurt, sure, but now he knew that piloting one of those things was not an easy task.

So he kept watching intently, and as the yellow EVA started to rain fire upon the enemy, he had a thought on his mind:

'Don't lose, new kid.'

* * *

 **(5:51 PM, Tokyo-3)**

Shinji issued a command to the EVA, and almost immediately one of the shoulder pylons opened up, revealing a giant blade ready for pick up. He grabbed the vibrating knife with his right hand, readying himself to follow the girl's plan.

"All right, puppy-boy, approach the Angel while I distract it with the Vulcan. This should give an opportunity to stab its core, you get it?", Mari explained.

"Right…", responded Shinji. He hesitated for a second, before speaking up again: "Puppy-boy?", he asked, raising one brow.

Mari laughed at the boy's confused face. "Yes, 'puppy-boy'. If you could see your own face right now, you would understand", she explained.

Shinji groaned with embarrassment and closed the comm. He could discuss this later.

Mari kept firing at the Angel while Shinji leaped over buildings, approaching the Angels fast. He was now close enough to stab the knife on the creature, so he signaled Mari.

"I'm ready, hold your fire!", he yelled.

As soon as the girl stopped firing, he grabbed the Angel be the head with one hand and started to stab the red core on its chest with the knife on the other. Sparks started to come out as Shinji kept hitting, holding the head away from him to keep the tentacles from reaching his body.

The Angel was now defenseless. He only had to keep stabbing it and it would be over. He spoke to Mari with an overjoyed tone.

"We made it! Just a few more seconds", he said, struggling to hold the Angel's head away from him.

Mari snickered. "Good job, now we only have to…"

Mari was interrupted by a sudden pain on her head, like a needle had been inserted in her brain. She yelled in suffering, putting her hand on her head, trying to make it go away.

" _What...is...happening..?",_ she groaned, sensing her surroundings starting to feel colder and colder.

She heard whispers around her, a sentiment of rejection and pure, pure _hate_. She screamed once again, unable to control the EVA.

* * *

On Central Dogma, panic took over, no one knowing what was happening.

"Ritsuko, what's the problem?!", yelled Misato, seeing the gruesome scene of Unit-00, out of control, holding its own head.

"It's rejecting the pilot!", Ritsuko yelled back, looking over the data on the screens. The synch rate had spiked to 70%, but the EVA's system seemed to be going berserk.

"Do something! Cut the connection!", pleaded Misato, not wanting to see a pilot dying from contamination.

"We can't! If we cut the connection at this level, the trauma would be unbearable!", she explained, her hand on her head, despair on her face. She turned to Makoto: "Cut the power cable", she ordered.

"Yes ma'am!", he responded, pressing a few buttons.

They heard the hissing sound as the power cable was detached from Unit-00. Now all they could do was wait for it to run out.

Misato chewed her nails: the situation didn't look good.

* * *

Shinji kept stabbing the Angel's core, when a sudden and terrifying scream could be heard over the comm. He turned to look at Mari's EVA, and the view shocked him: Unit-00 had its hands over its head, wobbling around like some crazed animal. The screams were _Mari's._

He wanted to open the channel and try to talk to the girl, but that moment of hesitation costed him: the Angel managed to lower its head and strike Shinji with one of its tentacles, piercing him in the arm.

Shinji screamed in pain, releasing the hold from the creature, who rammed the EVA with its head, attacking him with the spiked tentacles like swarm of bees. He didn't had the strength to hold against the Angel, which was now pushing him back.

One of the tentacles swiped around his feet, and Shinji could hear a buzzing sound. Looking down, he noticed that the Angel had cut his power cable. His eyes widened: he only had 5 minutes of power.

"EVA switching to internal power!", announced Mokoto over the comm.

With a head swipe, the creature threw back, making the EVA fly off and hit one of the hills that surrounded the city.

It took a second for Shinji to recover his bearing, the stinging pain all over his body. He looked ahead, seeing the Angel preparing to advance once more. He gritted his teeth in preparation, when he suddenly heard voice around him.

Looking over his side, he saw its origin: between the EVA's fingers, two figures stood petrified. Taking a better look, he noticed that he _knew_ them: those kids from the school, the one with glasses and the one who had punched him.

Shinji looked back at the Angel, gasping at the sight: the creature jumped on him, attacking the EVA mercilessly.

Shinji had no option but to hold it off. If he moved, he could accidently crush those two under the EVA's hand.

So he held his ground, trying to defend himself from the blows.

* * *

Inside the plug of Unit-00, Mari still tried to take control once more.

The feeling of rejection from the EVA was sudden and painful, and she felt like her head was going to explode. The whispers in her head were unbearable, but even so, she tried to calm it down.

'For fuck's sake, calm down! I'm just...trying...to…', she thought, trying to communicate with it.

This only caused the pain to worsen even more, and Mari let out another scream.

She had only one option: with all her strength, she tried to reach the red handle under her seat, tapping the object and trying to pull it.

When she got a good hold of it, she issue the order: "Cut synchronization connections, protocol 32!", she yelled, the order making all the screens on the EVA go red, and immediately pulled the handle.

She felt her world get darker as the inertia from the ejection propelled her out of the EVA. She tried to cling to the last remains of consciousness, but gave up, closing her eyes and waiting for the plug to fall on the ground.

* * *

"Are those...kids?", Misato asked, confused by the sight of two boys in the middle of an Angels battle.

Ritsuko pressed a few buttons, and immediately two profiles appeared on the screen.

"Toji Suzuhara and Kensuke Aida. Both classmates to Shinji", she told Misato, hand on her chin. "What are they doing there?"

Misato breathed heavily, trying to make a decision. The only one she came up with would be questionable, but there was no other way.

"Open the plug, let them go in!", she ordered.

Ritsuko turned to the Captain with incredulity in her eyes. "Are you serious? The EVA is extremely classified, you can't just…", she started, but Misato cut her off.

"We _can't_ just let them outside, it's too dangerous!", she yelled.

Ritsuko frowned, but saw that there was no other option. "I see", she said. Opening the comm, she spoke to the pilot.

"Shinji, you need to shove the Angel away. We will open the plug, and your classmates will get in. Do you understand?", she asked.

Shinji whimpered in pain, but managed to respond.

"I...yes, I understand", he responded.

* * *

"Wha...what is he doing? Why isn't he fighting?", Toji asked, despair from the situation they were in seeping in his voice.

"It's...because we're here", Kensuke realized. They were with in the middle of the EVA's finger, making it impossible for the robot to fight.

Both swallowed hard. They were making thing difficult for the pilot. Toji felt guilty once again.

Suddenly, in a spike of strength, the EVA mustered all its power and shoved the Angel away, making the creature fall back. Immediately, a steel cylinder eject off the EVA's back, startling the two kids.

A voice ordered them: "Get in the plug, _now!"_

Looking at each other, both ran towards the plug, following the voice's order.

The door opened, gallons of orange liquid coming out of it, and both entered. Inside, they saw Ikari with a pained expression looking at them. When he saw that both entered, he immediately pressed a button on the panel, making the door close and the plug to start filling up with that orange liquid they had just saw.

"Hey, my came…!", complained Kensuke, before being flooded by the liquid. Both boys held their breaths, eyes wide.

"The liquid is breathable, you can relax", announced Misato over the comms. "Shinji, you have less than a minute of power! You need to fall back immediately!"

Shinji gasped at the order, looking at the Angel on the distance. Behind him, the limp form of Unit-00 stood, the girl inside giving no sign of life.

"Misato, I can't! If i retreat, the Angel will destroy Unit-00!", he tried to reason with her.

"Shinji, it's too dangerous! We might lose you both!", Misato yelled.

Shinji took a deep breath, the sensations of pain over his body stinging. Looking over the counter, he saw that he had less than thirty seconds left. It would have to do.

"Sorry Misato", he said, and turned off the comm.

Shinji got the EVA up, and started to run on the Angel's direction, which was now coming to face him. He glanced at Unit-00, the EVA still as a statue, and wondered what had happened to that girl.

He couldn't let her die like that: if he retreated, the Angel surely would destroy her. He still had power enough to at least _try._

The two colossus clashed, Unit-01 stabbing the creature in its core, and the Angel swinging its tentacles on the EVA, trying to release its hold. Each strike made Shinji wince in pain, but he held on. Just a few more seconds.

The core sparked, a crack appearing on it. 7 seconds.

Toji and Kensuke looked at the boy, the pain visible on his expression. Both were speechless, watching the life-or-death fight happening before their own eyes.

Another crack. 3 seconds.

Shinji screamed at used all his strength to push the knife even deeper, the Angel wobbling its tentacles in despair, now trying to escape.

Power out. The EVA deactivated.

Shinji's put his hands on his own face, trying to breathe properly. Outside, the Angel went limp, the tentacles falling on its sides. It was over.

Toji and Kensuke, eyes wide in fear, kept immobile during all the fight. Silence resumed, only being disturbed when they heard the moans and whimpers of Shinji, in front of him.

They looked at him as he turned his head, and they could see his face. He frowned from the pain he received on the Angel's attacks, and held his shoulder with one of his hands. He looked at the two boys, both too perplexed to say anything. The sight of how much Shinji suffered when piloting had left them speechless.

Shinji breathed heavily, his eyes almost lifeless.

"Are...are you guys okay?", he asked, before his head fell and he slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

Mari opened her eyes with difficulty, supporting herself with her arms. After recovering conscience, she reached a handle on the side of the door and pulled it, opening it and making all the LCL inside the plug go out.

She mastered all her strength as she pulled herself out of the plug, dropping on the street. She winced from all the sensations she felt inside Unit-00, something that had never happened to her before. All the times she piloted an EVA were completely fine. She didn't understand what could make it so so angry.

Her head hurt from the synchronization with the EVA. Why was it so aggressive? So full of rejection and... _hate._

She looked up, and saw Unit-00 limp form on the distance, without pilot and energy. Even farther ahead, she saw Unit-01 and the Angel, both immobile, like two gigantic statues.

Sighing, she sat on the street, waiting for the medical team to arrive. She couldn't put a finger on why, but both Unit-00 and its pilot were strange beings. She had guessed that there was something weird about the girl. Something... _different._

"What are you piloting, Rei Ayanami?", she frowned and asked herself, looking at the EVA bathed in the light of the setting sun.

 **TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** Woah, largest chapter yet. Nice.

While I don't dislike writing action scenes, I just enjoy the more calm ones a bit more. Maybe something a need to improve, in case my actions scenes suck.

Well, now Mari enters the frame. Two things you should be aware: both the fact that I want to explore how Rei and Mari would interact with each other AND Rei's nickname "Blue" are inspired by the fic " **You Must (Not) Run Away** ", from author ' **jcmoorehead** '. It's a pretty good post-3.33 fanfic, so check it out.

If I had anything else to say, i honestly forgot. So, see ya next chapter.

Oh, and don't forget to leave a **Review** and **Favorite** story. It helps me a lot. Thank you very much.


	8. Not Your Kind of People Pt 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Neon Genesis Evangelion or The Rebuild of Evangelion.**

* * *

 **NEON GENESIS**

 **EVANGELION: SUBSTANCE**

 **Episode 8:**

" **Not Your Kind of People Pt. 1"**

* * *

 **Dr. Akagi heard a knock on her office's door, making her raise her head in reflex. She had been analysing the report's from the battle for some hours, her curiosity sparked by Unit-00's malfunction during the ordeal. She had some questions to make. "Come in", she said.**

The door opened, revealing a brown haired girl wearing glasses with a catlike grin on her face. Wearing something resembling a school's uniform, she could pass as a normal Tokyo-3 student, if it wasn't by the old-fashioned appearance of the city's school dressing.

"Dr. Akagi, right?", Mari asked, faking the fact she remembered Ritsuko's name very well.

"Correct", Ritsuko answered, lowering her head to check the reports once again. She found the particular line she was looking for, one which contained a phrase uttered by the pilot after Unit-00 went berserk. She would bring it up eventually. "You may sit down", she told the girl.

Mari approached the chair in front of the Doctor's desk, sitting and crossing her legs. She looked at Ritsuko expectantly, still smiling. The woman ignored it, checking the files on her hand for a few more seconds.

Meanwhile, Mari turned her head around, looking at the Doctor's office. She noticed several feline statues and memorabilia scattered around, something that amused her.

"I take it you're a cat person, huh?", she asked Ritsuko.

"Hm?", Ritsuko interjected, distracted by her own work. Following the girl's gaze, she understood what she had asked. "You could say so. They are better company than most people", she answered.

Mari nodded, smirking. 'Looks like someone is a loner', she thought.

Ritsuko finished checking the papers, placing them on the desk. Opening a drawer, she pulled out a pack of cigarettes, grabbing one and placing it on her mouth.

"You don't mind, do you?", she asked, already lighting it. She needed more than a girl's disapproval to interrupt her morning vice.

"Well, only if you hand me one", the girl answered, smirking.

Ritsuko gave the girl a serious look, frowning slightly. "How amusing", she responded, not sure if she enjoyed the girl's playful nature. She sucked the cigarette butt and released a cloud of smoke.

"I assume the medical team has released you?", she asked the girl, taking a look at her overall appearance: she seemed perfectly fine.

"Yep. Not a scratch on me", she responded. Her head had hurt for a few hours, but she was physically uninjured. The only thing that had a lasting effect on her were the questions she had, but those were for another time.

"I see. Unit-00 had some...incidents in the past, causing injuries on the First Child and damaging some equipment", Ritsuko explained. Mari mouthed an 'oh': she remembered the blue haired girl's bandages and bruises. 'So that's how she got them, huh', she mused.

Ritsuko continued: "You could say it is unreliable at best. Unfortunately, it's the only Unit we have beside's Unit-01 for now", she released another cloud of smoke. "Rei will be back to her duties soon, but you will be assigned as Provisional Pilot for now. You trained using Unit-02, correct?"

"Hm, well, just a bit. The Princess is rather jealous of her EVA, so I mostly used EVA Simulation bodies. Unit-05's not ready yet, you know", she explained, putting a finger on her mouth and looking up. "You could say i'm a bit of an expert in prototype EVA's", she added, humorously.

Ritsuko nodded, left hand on her chin. "I see. That would mean that you are used to the risks of experimental synchronization, or at least the lesser safe tests the other Branches perform. That's quite useful, actually. Experient pilots are rare", she said, using her right hand to take some notes. "Also…who is 'Princess'?", Ritsuko questioned, confused.

"Oh. You know, Asuka. That's the nickname I gave her", Mari explained, smiling. "Quite appropriate, i'd say."

"I'm aware of the Second's...let's say, behaviour. It seems she hasn't many friends in Berlin", Ritsuko said, sighing.

Mari smiled and lifted her finger, as if correcting a student.

"Except me, of course. Asuka _loves_ me...she just doesn't know it yet", the girl humoured. "She can be a pain in the ass, but she's okay on my book."

"If you say so", Ritsuko responded dismissively, not inclined to believe Mari's words.

The reports she had been given showed strong narcissistic tendencies on the Second, along with a childish attachment to Unit-02, her designated EVA. The reason they had brought Mari to Tokyo-3 was due to her more flexible capacity of piloting, even if the Second was a more skilled pilot.

They needed someone to pilot Unit-00 immediately, so they got the Mari Makinami Illustrious, the Fourth Child. Giving her apparent enjoyment of piloting, she would be rather useful, as long as she didn't disobey any orders.

Which reminded Ritsuko of the matter at hand. She squeezed the cigarette tip on her ashtray.

"Just a few questions now, Mari. We need to check in your profile on the MAGI", the doctor said, grabbing a holder pad and using it as a surface so she could write.

Mari raised her eyebrows. "Something wrong with my file, doc?", she asked.

Ritsuko gave her a reassuring smile. "Not really. We just need to confirm your transfer properly. You'll be working here, after all", she responded. "Now, i'm gonna ask you a few questions. As obvious as they may be, you answer them correctly, okay?"

Mari crossed her arms, preparing to choose her words carefully on the next few minutes. "Sure, ask away", she responded, smirking.

Ritsuko analyzed the girl for a few seconds before continuing:

"Name: Mari Makinami Illustrious, Fourth Child, provisional pilot of Unit-00 and pilot of Unit-05", she said, professionalism on her tone. She gave Mari a questioning look, asking if it was all correct.

Mari snorted. "Yep, that's me. And I hope I'll _actually_ be pilot of Unit-05, 'cause it seems they are taking their time building the thing."

Ritsuko ignored the comment. "Born in London on the seventh of January, 2001. Parents: Fumiko Makinami and…", Ritsuko paused, gazing at the blank spot on the paper. No father?

"If you are wondering about it, you've already guessed, doc", Mari interrupted. Ritsuko raised her head to look at the girl, noticing her everlasting smile falter a bit. "Just my mom and I. We used to live in Britain, but we moved so she could work on the Nevada Branch. She was one of the big brains there."

Ritsuko put her hand on her chin and thought about it: she had heard the name before, for sure, but couldn't remember where. Maybe her mother had made a comment about the woman, a long time ago.

"I see. Where is she now?", Ritsuko asked, already knowing what the answer was.

Mari closed her eyes and shrugged. "Where most people went around that time: the grave. Died when I was five, or sometime around that."

Ritsuko nodded, adding a few lines on the psych evaluation profile: 'Mostly unfazed by discussions regarding her mother's passing'. She made a mental note to check the files from the 'Marduk Institute' later, to learn more about the situation. It was clear that Mari's mother had been a subject to the Contact Experiment, but she needed more information if she was to write the girl's psychological report. Mari could be considered 'now blood', after all: her recruitment into piloting had happened in a later date, if the reports were correct.

As of now, Ritsuko knew too little about Mari Makinami. Even being the member of NERV with one of the highest security clearance levels, the doctor felt that there was many things she wasn't aware of.

She continued: "Unknown father then. May I ask where the 'Illustrious' came from? It isn't from you mother, from what I know", she questioned.

Mari smirked. "I choose it."

Ritsuko raised an eyebrow, staring at the girl. "You choose it?"

"Yep", the girl answered, clearly satisfied with the doctor's question. "After my mother passed away, I had no relatives to take care of me. Sooo... when I was brought to NERV, I registered my name as Mari Makinami _Illustrious_. Quite charming, huh?"

Ritsuko huffed in disbelief. "Let's agree to disagree", she said. "Any reason for the choice?"

Mari crossed her arms and looked at the ceiling, thinking about the question. There were many answer to it.

"Well, it's personal, kinda. But it helped me to, let's say, 'fit in'. Dad was british, for all I know, so I better honor my heritage and get a proper western name, eh?", she responded, smirking.

Ritsuko wanted to comment on how 'Illustrious' was far from a normal british or western name, but suppressed the urge.

"No resentment for him, then?"

Mari waved her hand in dismissal. "I can't resent someone I never knew. Besides, I don't know the full story. Mom never told me anything", she said, looking away dreamingly. "Wish I could've met him."

Ritsuko found the girl's opinion on her unknown father amusing: It was quite different from the Third's relation with the Commander. She wrote a few more lines on her psych evaluation.

"I see. Moving on: it says here that you began you training in the Nevada Branch at the age of seven. Unit-05 began it's construction there a few years ago, along with Unit-03 and Unit-04, correct?"

"Yep. I did some synch tests with them, but wasn't given the title of Fourth Child until a few months ago", she explained, making a pouty face. "I really wanted to be the Third. I hate four", she said.

Ritsuko raised her head from the file. "Why is that?"

"Well", Mari started to explain, holding up three fingers in front of her and smiling. "Three's a pretty number, see? Perfect aesthetic. Then comes four", she continued, adding a fourth finger. "It just feels wrong. It feels like it's just there, messing it up."

Ritsuko stared at the girl, already getting tired of her quirks. "How...illuminating", she said, sighing and begrudgingly adding a few lines to file.

"After that, you were transferred to Berlin, where you trained along with the Second for a year, as you mentioned before. Then, finally, you were reassigned to Bethany Base, for Prototype EVA training", she continued. "You went all around, it seems."

Mari's smile widened. "I'm a citizen of the world, doc. I don't like being stuck in one place for long."

Ritsuko hummed. "That explains your experience with EVA's. You're quite the Wild Card."

"Ooh, I like that. 'Wild Card'", she repeated, satisfied with the term.

Ritsuko sighed. "I'm sure you do. Anyway, after the Angel's began to appear, we signed your transfer documents and brought you here for Provisional Piloting. It seems you came right along with the Fourth Angel", she said, then snorted: "How ironic."

Before Mari could make any snarky remark, she continued: "This finishes your profile. It seems to be all we need", she said, closing the file and putting it aside. Mari remained silent, pressing her lips together but her mouth still curved from smirking.

The girl's constant grin started to somewhat bother Ritsuko.

"We have other matters to attend to. It's about what happened during the battle", the doctor said in a serious tone. She crossed her arms, leaning on her chair. "Did you felt any anomaly during synchronization? The EVA was set up for Rei, so it would normal if you had felt any uncomfortableness during synch", Ritsuko questioned.

Mari put her hand on her chin, thinking about it. She had heard a voice and a sudden cold while still in the cage, something which had weirded her out. She had experience piloting Simulation bodies, but that was the first...well, second time piloting a 'proper' EVA, let's say. She had felt a presence when synching with Unit-02 a couple of years ago, but Unit-00 was completely different. It was _savage_ , aggressive. That only made Mari even more curious about Rei Ayanami. She would have to speak to the girl sometime.

"I felt strange while synching, but just brushed it off as being the first time piloting a new EVA", the girl explained, measuring her words. Ritsuko payed attention, memorizing her report. "When it got out of control during the battle, that feeling returned. It started to…'poke' at my head, or something like that. First thing i did was eject, i couldn't handle it", the girl concluded, sighing. Ritsuko raised a brow when noticing an unexpected sign of seriousness on the girl, who reportedly never took thing seriously. She interpreted it as a faint sign of professionalism.

"I see"", the Doctor responded, pondering on her explanation. "There is another matter, though", she said, grabbing her papers on the desk.

"We noticed you giving the EVA a direct command right before ejecting", she told the girl, gazing at her from behind the paper. "More specifically, Protocol 32: cutting the synch immediately. I'm sure you are aware that you risked contamination and mental trauma, correct?"

Mari raised the corner of her mouth, smiling softly. "They taught me some stuff in training. You never know when a prototype or Simulation body will misbehave, so they showed me the emergency codes, along with special training for those situations", she explained. "You sure know your stuff about EVA, doc."

Ritsuko raised an eyebrow.

"Naturally. I'm Head Scientist here", she retorted. "My mother was the one who wrote them."

"Oh, so you followed your mother's steps?", Mari teased.

The Doctor pretended to be writing something on the report for a few seconds, before glaring at the girl.

"You could say that", Ritsuko answered, not wishing to continue that line of thought. 'In more ways than one', she reminded herself grimly.

She continued: "In any case, I would avoid such carelessness in the future. We cannot afford to lose a pilot to simple misbehaving, so you'd be better follow orders. Misato will instruct you further."

Mari adjusted herself in the chair. The metal on the object was in contact with her legs, right below the tip of her skirt, giving her chills.

"Of course. It won't happen again", Mari groaned. She was relieved that the doctor hadn't poked more on the matter. The codes were given to her by Bethmann during her training, courtesy of an operative in Japan, someone called Akira. She never thought they would be used, but was grateful that she knew them when she did.

"Very well. We're done here", Ritsuko simply announced, returning to her tasks. No time to waste.

Mari got off the chair, but before she left, she turned to the doctor: "Oh, I almost forgot: how's Puppy-boy?", she asked. She heard about the rest of the battle soon after being rescued, so she wanted to pay him a visit.

"Hm?", Ritsuko raised her head again. "Oh, you mean Shinji. He's at the Hospital. Misato went there to pick him up", she explained, before sighing and looking at Mari, a frown on her face. "What's with you and nicknames?"

Mari smirked. "Just my way of remembering people. I'd call you Blondie, but that's already taken", she said, a sudden cold tone on her voice. "See ya, doctor", she waved, exiting the room.

Ritsuko stared at the closing door for a few seconds, pondering on the girl's report. There was something odd about the girl, but she couldn't pinpoint exactly what. Her notion of the Emergency EVA codes was unexpected, suspicious even. But Ritsuko's own knowledge on the other branches and their training was thin, so she hadn't much to look into.

She lit another cigarette and rubbed her temples. She still had a lot of work to do, mostly about the damage Unit-01 took on the battle. Shinji's reckless move had produced more files and reports than she could handle.

Luckily, she could send some to Misato's desk.

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** Just a little scene to introduce Mari properly.

Don't forget to leave a **review** and a **favorite** , of course.


	9. Not Your Kind of People Pt 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Neon Genesis Evangelion or The Rebuild of Evangelion.**

* * *

 **NEON GENESIS**

 **EVANGELION: SUBSTANCE**

 **Episode 9:**

" **Not Your Kind of People Pt. 2"**

* * *

 **A small peek of light started to appear in his vision, blinding the boy with its clarity. Shinji groaned, but opened his eyes anyway, ignoring the discomfort.**

A white ceiling. One he had seen before, weeks ago. It became somewhat of a familiar sight for him, so he made no reaction to it. The sound of the summer cicadas could be heard from the window on his left, like a never ending song that he was all too used to by now.

He felt a slight discomfort over his body, trying to move his arms and legs. He managed to do it, but decided to give it a rest for now, noticing he was resting in a bed. For the moment, he just wanted to close his eyes again and clear his mind of any thoughts. There was some strange comfort in doing that.

"Shinji?", a voice interrupted his rest.

Opening his eyes again, he turned to look at the source of the call: a woman with lavender hair and a red jacket was sitting in a chair right beside his bed. She was pressing her lips together, a strange frown on her face. She looked at him with a expression of severity, but her eyes showed something akin to worry.

"Misato?", he asked with difficulty. His throat was slightly sore, so speaking was difficult. He coughed a bit, trying to ease it.

Misato's frown lightened a bit, and the woman gave him a small smile. "How are you feeling?", she asked.

Shinji used his elbows to lift himself, leaning on the back of the bad so he could speak properly. Blinking a few times, he rubbed his eyes and ran his hand over his hair. Looking down, he gazed at his own body, covered by a white blanket.

"I'm...okay, I guess", he answered, trying to remember what happened. The last thing he remembered was fighting for his life against that Angel, facing the creature head to head. After that, his memory was foggy. "What happened?"

Misato crossed her arms and followed the boy's gaze, looking at his body covered by cloth. His injuries were all due to synchronization, so there were no long lasting effects. Perhaps he could feel some soreness over his body for some time, but that was it.

She turned to look at him in the eyes, frowning once more. "The Angel is destroyed. You disobeyed me and killed it", she said, reprimand in her voice.

Shinji's eyes widened in confusion. "Misato…?", he asked, almost whimpering. He hadn't expected that tone on her voice.

"I ordered you to retreat. Not only you disobeyed me, but you put yourself and the EVA in risk, Shinji", she told him. "You take orders from me, you understand?"

Shinji didn't knew what to say. He remembered turning off the comm and charging at the Angel, with mere seconds of energy left. He had seen Unit-00 lose control, and still remembered that strange girl's scream, something that gave him chills.

"Misato, if I hadn't done anything, that girl… she could've died. She could've been attacked by the Angel, and there would be no one there to stop it", he tried to explain, supporting his head with his hand while he gathered his thoughts.

Misato sighed. "The pilot had ejected, Shinji, there was no danger whatsoever. She's completely fine, different from you", she explained, closing her eyes. "You almost got killed there. What would you have done if you power ran out a few seconds earlier?!", she asked the boy, clearly bothered.

"She...ejected?", he asked, raising his head and looking at Misato with wide eyes. She was safe, then.

Even if he didn't even knew her, that girl had schemed a plan on the spot, not to mention when she had saved him from an incoming attack. What kind of person would he be if he simply had abandoned her there?

Turns out, it had been for nothing. 'What a great hero I am', he thought, almost laughing in irony.

"She did", Misato continued. Rubbing her temples, she groaned. "Look Shinji, I know you had good intentions, but…"

Shinji cut her off, annoyed by her reprimands: "But what? You're telling me that I should've ran away?", Shinji asked aggressively, a frown in his face. "The Angel is defeated, Misato. Isn't that what matters?"

"What matters is that you _can't keep piloting like that_ ", she retorted. "Here we follow orders. I know you defeated it, but what if you hadn't? What would've happened then?", she questioned him, now looking even more angry than before.

Shinji started to respond, but found himself without words. Misato noticed it, and waited for a response. There was none, and the boy simply huffed. The woman continued:

"You'd be dead. Both of your friends would be dead", she told him coldly. She waved her hand in the air. "Everyone in this city would be dead. Don't you get it? It isn't something simple as 'not running away', Shinji!"

Shinji kept silent, staring at his own lap. His expression was one of doubt, she could tell. She also went quiet, giving him the time to reflect upon his actions. She cared about the boy, but inside NERV's corridors, she was his superior officer. He would follow her orders.

She understood his intentions, but he couldn't follow his instincts alone. The Angels were an enemy that they had to work together to defeat, so there was no room for insubordination.

"Is that how you intend to keep piloting? Throwing yourself in battle with no regards for anything?", Misato finally asked, wanting to make sure the boy understood.

Shinji closed his eyes and tightened his fist in a grip. "No, Captain', he answered coldly. Misato winced internally at his tone. She didn't show it, of course: he need to get his act together, and get it fast. He wouldn't survive long if he didn't.

Shinji felt like resenting the woman for scolding him like that, but didn't had the strength to do it. He kept piloting to protect people, to protect Misato, his uncle, to make sure they were safe against those creatures invading the city. He did everything he could.

He hadn't ran away, and had won. Was that not enough for her?

"Do you?", she pressed, interrupting his reflection.

The boy turned to her and opened his eyes. Misato was being rough, but in the end, she was right. He really could've failed there. If he had been a little slower, the Angel would've destroyed him and killed everyone.

And there would be nothing he could do about it.

"I...I do, Misato", he answered, lowering his gaze. "It won't happen again", he added.

Misato stared at the boy for some time. His head was low in defeat, but she could feel like he had understood it. Those puppy eyes of his couldn't lie, Misato grudgingly admitted.

She sighed, not being a fan of scolding the boy like that. She had to do it, though: it was her duty to care about the pilot, and an unsubordinated pilot could cause more problems than solve them.

But it was also her duty to care about Shinji, the kid she had welcomed into her home with open arms, a duty she was more than happy to follow. She gave him an worried smile.

"Good, Shinji", she said. "Listen, I'm only telling you this for your own good. Promise me it won't happen again."

Shinji hesitated, before raising his head and smiling softly.

"I promise, Misato. I'm...sorry about that", he said in a pitiful tone.

Misato couldn't keep her commanding facade any longer, letting out a snort. "Geez, there you go again moping around. I guess you can't be a brave idiot all the time, eh?", she mocked him, easing the tone of the conversation.

Shinji snickered. "Well...pretty much", he admitted. "But I'm really sorry, Misato. I understand what you meant", he added, his smile faltering a bit.

Misato sighed in disbelief. "God, you make it really hard to stay mad at you", she groaned. "But I don't want to see you doing that again, ok? I would've taken you to eat some steak, but since you were so insubordinate, all that's left is my cooking. Sounds good?", she asked, grinning.

Shinji was overcome by fear. "Uh, Misato, listen…", he started, but got interrupted by the door opening with a hissing sound.

"Did anyone say 'steak'?", a familiar voice was heard by the door. Misato and Shinji turned to see a brown haired girl wearing glasses popping her head inside the room, a grin on her face.

Shinji gasped: it was the girl who had saved him. He had wondered where she was.

Misato was surprised by her sudden appearance, but smiled at the girl anyway. "Actually, we talked about the lack of steak", she explained, snickering.

The girl mocked a disappointed expression, before entering the room. Wearing a strange school uniform, Shinji could tell she wasn't from Japan, even if she did had asian features on her mostly foreign appearance.

"Shame, I could eat an entire cow right now", Mari remarked, before pointing at the Captain sitting beside the bed. "You must be Misato", she said, her smile returning.

Misato nodded. "Glad you remembered it. What brings you here, Mari?", she asked. Ritsuko had given her some information about the Fourth Child, which consisted basically of her name and her EVA training. Misato managed to remember her name, at least.

Mari pointed to Shinji, grinning. "Came to see how the famous Third Child was doing. You're okay, right? Looking a little pale there", she joked.

Misato threw a sly smile at Shinji. "Ohh, a girl is worried about Shin-chan, then? Remind me to ask how many phone numbers you got on your first day of school", she said, making the boy blush.

"S-stop saying nonsense, Misato", he stammered, exasperated. While that wasn't entirely false, as that girl Aiko had shown interest in him, he knew that he shouldn't give Misato even more material so she could tease him.

"All right, all right", the woman responded, suppressing her laugh.

Shinji groaned, before turning to the girl. "Anyway, I'm fine, miss…?", he started, before realizing he didn't get her name at all.

Mari pounded her chest in a mocking manner. "Miss Mari Makinami Illustrious. Glad to make your acquaintance, Puppy-boy", she told him, grinning.

"Oh, nice to meet you, Ma...wait, what is this 'Puppy' thing?", he raised an eyebrow in confusion.

Misato laughed at the boy's expression. "You know, it kinda fits, wouldn't you say? He has such a cute little face. Makes you wanna pinch his cheeks", she said, mimicking a pince with her hand and going for Shinji's face, to which the boy backed away, frowning.

"Right? I noticed as soon as I saw him!", Mari remarked, grinning in approval.

"Seriously, stop", he warned.

"Come on, just once", she said, trying to get a grip on his cheek.

"I'm calling the nurse."

"Oh, _fine_. You're no fun", she groaned, crossing her arms in defeat. "You live with me, so there will be a lot of opportunity for that", she added, before turning her head to speak with Mari.

"What about you?", she asked, concerned. "Unit-00 can be a little wild, but you seem ok."

Mari waved her hand in dismissal. "Eh, i'm fine. T'was just a scare, I didn't got hurt or anything."

Shinji, who was curious about Unit-00 malfunction, barged in:

"This happened before, right?", he asked Misato, curiosity and worry in his voice. "That's why Ayanami was hurt?"

Misato put her hand on her chin, sighing. "Yeah, that's why she was all bandaged up. We performed some synch tests with Rei, that's when the thing went crazy. No idea why, though", she admitted. 'I bet Ritsuko dropped a cup of coffee on it or something', she thought. "But we're checking that up, so don't worry, Shinji", she added, trying to brush the concern on the boy.

"Oh...okay", he simply responded. The thought of the blue haired girl getting hurt again didn't sit well with him. The reason he first piloted was technically her, after all.

"Well, for you it is. You have no idea how many files Ritsuko threw my way", she said, despair in her voice. "Guess i'll have to bring some work home."

Misato mouthed an 'oh' and turned to Mari, who had been watching the conversation until now, unusually quiet.

"That reminds me… you got a place to stay?", she asked the girl.

Mari seemed to startle at the question, turning to Misato quickly. Her mind had wandered off, thinking about Rei Ayanami and her strange EVA, a mystery she was more than curious to solve.

She gave Misato a grin, brushing off the question as something trivial. "Not yet, but no sweat. I'll just talk with some higher up and find myself some flat."

Misato hummed, considering inviting her to live in the same apartment block, but the girl apparently seemed to enjoy living on her own. Besides, she barely knew the girl, so simply asking that was out of question (even for Misato).

"You finished your debriefing with Dr. Akagi, then?"

"Yep. Not the funniest person in the world, but she's alright", Mari answered.

Misato huffed. "That's Ritsuko for you. I wonder how she has no wrinkles with how much she frowns", she asked herself.

Meanwhile, Mari turned to speak with Shinji, a softer smile on her face.

"So, I heard you gave that Angel quite the thrashing", she said, crossing her arms.

Shinji scratched his head. "Well...kinda", he answered, not wanting to be cocky in any way.

"Yeah, and almost got killed", Misato barged in, pointing her finger at both. "I just finished giving him a lecture, and that applied to you too, Mari. We follow orders here, okay?"

Mari mocked a salute. "Yes, Captain. I'm nothing if not a good soldier", she responded, grinning.

Misato snorted at the exaggerated display. "Good to know", she said, before turning to Shinji. "Shinji, your stuff is in the drawer, so get dressed and let's get out of this place. Hospitals give the creeps."

* * *

After Shinji got dressed, the trio stepped out of his room and made their way through the corridors of the Geofront's Hospital.

"Let me speak with Section Two first. If we let them deal with Mari's arrangements, you'd be better living below a bridge", Misato said, her distaste of the black suited agents being evident.

She walked ahead of the pilots, which gave Mari an opportunity to take a good look on Shinji: a scrawny physique, coupled with black and white uniform, made him rather boring on the fashion sense. Other than that, he did had soft facial features, with deep blue eyes and a cute expression making him not unpleasant on the eyes.

Besides, she could smell the LCL on him. That always brought her good memories.

Her attention was grabbed by an object on the boy's wrist: a golden watch, rather out of order with the rest of his outfit.

"Well, that's fancy", she remarked humorously, pointing at it.

Shinji, who had been looking ahead without paying attention, turned to her with a confused look.

"Huh?", he questioned, as if snapped out of some deep thoughts.

"Your watch", Mari pointed. "Expensive stuff", she said, whistling.

"Oh", he mouthed, lifting his arm so he could see it properly. "Well, it's a gift from...someone special", he explained, smiling softly. He hadn't thought about his uncle for some time, but the memories made him happy. He missed him.

Mari gave him a sly smile. "Ohh, some lovesick girl, then? Didn't knew you were such a casanova", she teased.

Shinji blushed a bit, but managed to laugh at the joke. "No, it's nothing like that", he explained.

The girl leaned to take a better looked at the object, when she noticed something written in it. "What's that?", she asked, pointing at the letters.

"Oh", the boy said as he raised the watch again. "That's my uncle's name: Akira Rokubungi."

Mari's eyes widened upon hearing that name: Akira was the name of one of Bethmann's contacts in Japan. She quickly masked her surprise with her normal smile.

Akira was a pretty common name in Japan, after all. It must've been a coincidence.

"It's just a gift from his uncle, Mari, stop teasing the poor kid", Misato told the girl, turning her head to barge in the conversation. "That's my job, after all", she added, giving Shinji a thumbs up and a malicious smile.

Shinji groaned. "Y-yes, that's it. He gave it to me a few years back", he explained, looking at the object with a smile. "Been using it since them, it's a...memory from home, let's say."

Mari raised her brows. "Home? You lived with your uncle?", she asked, genuinely curious. "What about your father?"

Shinji winced at the question, frowning. Misato looked back on Shinji, noticing his grim expression.

"Mari, that's enough", she ordered the girl, worry for the boy in her eyes.

Mari hesitated for a seconds, turning her head to Shinji, noticing he was clearly bothered by her question.

She cursed herself mentally. She had heard some things about the Third, about how his father was NERV's Commander and that the relationship between them was...unusual.

"Hey, sorry, I didn't…", she began, an apologetic tone on her voice,

"No", Shinji interrupted. "Don't worry, it's fine. Father sent me to live with my uncle many years ago. I never even talked with him that much, actually. That's probably...for the best", he added, sighing.

Mari pressed her lips together, regretting bringing that subject up. She had taken a liking of this Shinji Ikari after hearing about his battles against the Third and Fourth Angel and the apparent skill he showed even without training; but even with two Angel kills on his belt, she had never seen someone get so awkward with some simple teasing.

Actually, that might've been the reason why she did like the guy. It was fun.

In any case, that didn't gave her permission to pry in on his personal issues, so she decided to keep her mouth shut, for now. If he didn't want to talk about it, so be it.

She hadn't too much information on the boy, but she already knew those details about him and his father, along with his lack of involvement with NERV prior to the Angel invasion. Before she met him, she considered the possibility that the boy could be a good source of information for her and WILLE, being the Commander's son and all. She would just need to give him a wink here, a little physical contact there, and he would spill the beans.

Turns out, he was just a normal boy who had been dragged into a war for the future of humanity. Before coming to Tokyo-3, his worries were probably normal stuff like school. Being suddenly thrown into the fire was not something anyone got used to very quickly.

Mari could sympathise with that.

"I...see. Sorry anyway", she said. Trying to defuse the awkward situation, she grinned and pointed at the watch again. "Shame it has sentimental value, this thing could get you some serious money."

Shinji smiled, already getting used to the girl's playful nature. She seemed nice, if not a bit nosey.

"Well, I don't own much stuff, but this is the thing I won't part with...besides my SDAT", he said, remembering about his music player, at the moment stored at his room on Misato's apartment.

"You have an SDAT?", Mari questioned his choice of technological paraphernalia, before letting out another whistle. "You're a man of relics, Puppy-boy."

"You said it", Misato added, sighing. "Wish I had some guy giving me some expensive stuff. Shinji gets all the luck."

Mari looked at the woman ahead, a malicious smile on her face. 'Is that right, Misato?', she thought.

"I could talk with Mr. Ryoji, if that's what you're asking", she told the woman in a fake innocent tone.

Shinji didn't understood it, but seeing Misato stiff instantly told him that this Mr. Ryoji was an undesirable subject for her. The woman turned to Mari, her face red as a tomato.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about!", she proclaimed exasperated, before resuming her walking stiff as a pole.

Mari snickered and leaned on Shinji, speaking in a low voice: "Touchy subject, Puppy-boy. You'd be amazed by the stuff I've been told about our dear Captain", she told him mischievously. She had lived under the man's care for almost a year, along with the Princess, so he had a lot to material to tease.

Even if Ryoji Kaji liked his casanova persona, she could tell he had a soft spot for a lavender haired woman, one she had just met in person.

Misato whimpered and started to walk faster, clearly bothered by the subject.

Shinji watched the scene with eyes wide: he had never seen Misato getting flustered before. He had to admit: it was a pretty funny scene. So much that he tried to suppress his laugh.

Hearing the boy's snicker, an irate Misato turned to him.

"Oh, you're laughing now, aren't you?", she said, revolted by the clear inversion of roles. "you better don't mention that name anymore, you hear me?!", she demanded of Mari, her face still red.

Mari simply laughed along with Shinji, before saluting. "Of course, Captain. My lips are sealed", she responded, snorting.

Misato groaned, before finding what she was looking for: a NERV public telephone, along with the opportunity of changing _that_ subject. She grabbed the object and started dialing.

"If you smartasses are finished, let me call Section 2 and arrange our dear miss Makinami's living quarters", she announced, giving them both a glare.

Mari snickered and leaned on the wall along with Shinji. Soon, they could hear Misato's indignated screams, probably thrashing some poor Section 2 agent.

Shinji gave Mari an awkward smile. "Sorry. She's like that sometimes."

"Heh, relax. I'm used to pissing people off", she told him, a redhead girl passing through her mind. Shinji obviously didn't knew who she was talking about, so he simply shrugged.

"Besides that, Misato is a good person. She even took me in to live with her", the boy explained, trying to do some conversation.

He wanted to at least get in friendly terms with that odd girl: she seemed nice, even with her lousy personality. She _had_ saved him in battle, after all.

Mari turned to him, eyes wide and a sly grin on her face. "Oh, you _live_ with her? I bet you're enjoying every second of it, huh?", she mocked an accusation.

Shinji got flustered again, waving his hands in denial. "Hey, it's nothing like that!", he explained, frowning. "I mean, not that she isn't…"

"Ohh, so you admit it!", she laughed at the boy trying to explain himself. "Can't blame you, Shin-chan, Misato's body would make anyone crazy, that's for sure".

'Even myself', Mari thought, grinning internally.

' _Shit_ ', he kicked himself mentally. 'Caught right in her trap'. A few weeks living with Misato had taught the boy to avoid being teased too unmercifully. It was just a matter of not saying the wrong things.

"Well, if you say so", he simply responded, recomposing himself and trying to change the subject.

Mari squinted her eyes at the sudden seriousness of the boy, before grinning mischievously at him.

"Say, Puppy-boy, what would you do if I moved in with you both?", she asked him teasingly, biting her lower lip in her best impression of a 'sexy girl' and leaning on him. "Would you be okay with it?"

That was too much for Shinji, whose brain went haywire at the moment.

Obviously, he had noted how the girl was… developed in comparison to other girls with their age. A few centimeters of skin showing on the top of her slightly unbuttoned shirt made sure he knew that.

"Uhh...well, I would...I mean, I…", he stammered, his face red as a tomato.

Mari suddenly got back and laughed loudly, to Shinji's dismay.

"You're too easy, Puppy-boy! Seriously, how do you even…", she stopped talking when she noticed Shinji wasn't looking at her. Instead, he was staring at something behind her.

Turning to see who had spoiled her fun, she saw a blue haired girl slowly making her way through the corridors, paying no mind to the two other teenagers and the screaming Misato on the phone.

Mari noticed that she was wearing the same school uniform as before, when she had met the girl. It seemed that her wardrobe was rather monochromatic.

The glass-wearing girl wave at her. "'Sup, Blue", she greeted, informal as ever.

Shinji looked at Mari, confused. "Blue?", he asked. Mari looked at him, raising a brow and snickering.

"Pff, do I really have to explain that to you, Puppy-boy?"

Shinji groaned: that's not what he meant. Apparently they had already met, but he didn't knew when. Maybe when she arrived at NERV, or maybe they already knew each other. He didn't knew how long any of them had been pilots, after all.

"Hello, Ayanami", he greeted as well, smiling. No harm in being friendly, even if she mostly ignored the boy the few times they had interacted.

Rei stopped in front of them, turning her head when noticing that they were speaking to her. She examined them with no expression on her face, before greeting then back.

"Pilot Ikari, Pilot Makinami", she said, no emotion on her voice.

"Heh, I thought you were having a bad day, but it seems that's just how you are, huh?", Mari remarked. Shinji winced internally: that was kinda rude, on his opinion.

Rei leaned her head sideways, confused. "I do not understand."

Mari snorted, raising a hand. "Eh, it's nothing, forget about it", she said, amused by the girl's odd nature.

"Uh, anyway", Shinji cut in, preventing Mari from saying anything weird again. "Are you feeling better, Ayanami? I mean, you took those bandages off". Shinji pointed at her arms and head, now free from the yellowed clothes he usually saw her wearing.

Shinji's concern made Rei's eyes wide in surprise, a reaction from the girl which was new for the boy. No response came from her, so he scratch the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Sorry, did I say anything wrong?"

Rei blinked, as if she forgot she was having a conversation. She nodded at Shinji. "I am well, Pilot Ikari. The injuries have healed completely. I will return to my duties as a pilot soon."

"Take care, Blue", Mari added. "That EVA of yours is a bit unpredictable."

Rei looked at Mari, the ever present smile on the girl's face making her curious. Why did she always seemed so happy?

"I will. Thank you for your concern", Rei said, curiously staring at her face for a few seconds. "I must take my leave. The Commander requested my presence."

Shinji winced internally at her words, but kept quiet.

She bowed in a sign of goodbye, a gesture Shinji repeated. Mari didn't, keeping her arms crossed. The japanese custom always amusing her. 'So polite', she thought.

"Well, at least that's taken care of. Mari, you...oh, hello there, Rei", Misato came into the conversation suddenly, having finished her phonecall.

"Captain Katsuragi. I'm sorry, I was just leaving", Rei simply said, bowing towards Misato as well. This took the woman by surprise, who awkwardly bowed as well.

Rei then turned her back on the group, walking towards the closest elevator. Misato gazed at the girl leaving, raising a brow.

"What an odd girl, eh?", she commented. "Been here for two months and I barely know anything about her."

"Seriously?", Mari asked. "Aren't you our infalible operational director?"

Misato clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Well, yes, but I can't be omniscient. Ritsuko deals with the pilot's files. I prefer to know them in person, like an actual human being", she explained, jabbing Shinji with her elbow. "But I never got to speak with her. When I got here I just assumed she was related to the Commander, before, well…", she explained, looking at Shinji.

The boy sighed. "I don't have a secret sister, if that's what you're asking", he retorted. Misato snickered at the thought.

To be honest, Shinji was somewhat surprise when he noticed how much Ayanami was around his father. Misato's mistake was forgivable, and most of NERV probably thought the same.

He had seen them together once, before the Fourth Angel's attack: his father walking ahead, hands on his back, with Ayanami following close behind. Both of them ignored the boy, who just stood there, staring. His father didn't even glanced at him, as if he wasn't even there.

That had made Shinji uncomfortable. Not his father lack of acknowledgement for him, of course: he couldn't care less for the man. What bothered him was the apparent...closeness of them. It truly looked like he had a daughter, not a son.

That was only appearances, though: Gendo only directed a few words towards Ayanami from time to time, the girl following him like a loyal dog.

Maybe what did really bother him was someone, _anyone_ , actually enjoying his father's company. The bastard seemed to be cold to everyone, only being seen when working or in Central Dogma, his hands in front of his face, staring at the world around him with a sinister and intimidating aura.

If the girl had any connection with his father, that was her business. But it didn't mean Shinji had to like it.

Meanwhile, Mari observed the boy's thoughtful expression, betting he was thinking about that strange blue haired girl. She had thought that Shinji at least had some contact with Rei Ayanami, or at least knew something about her. As it turned out, no one at NERV knew a damn thing about her.

She clicked her tongue: she would have to do some field work, apparently. One of the assignments of her job _was_ gathering information, after all. If she was connect to Commander Ikari, she could be a good source.

"Enough chit-chat, guys", Misato announced, interrupting their thoughts. "I need to go home and take a long shower after today. Shinji, I'll drop you at the apartment first, so you can perform some of your famous culinary, alright?", she said with a sly smile and a thumbs up, to which Shinji rolled his eyes.

Misato then turned to Mari. "Your place is close to ours, so I'll be taking you there, ok? And thank me later for my amazing negotiation skills, as I managed to get you an actual _good_ place to live", she told the girl, winking.

Mari snorted. "Pff, I'll believe it when I see it."

"Hmpf, maybe I should've set you up in a shack", Misato groaned. "Come on, let's go home. Oh, and Shinji", she added, turning to the boy and smiling mischievously.

"You still need to tell us how was your day at school", she demanded.

Shinji gulped.

* * *

Kozo Fuyutsuki closed the door of his office, locking it and placing the key on his pocket. Lifting his arm and looking at his simple wrist watch for the time, he noticed that the evening approached. He would retire to his quarters as soon as he had a debriefing with Ikari.

The corridors of NERV were always unnerving for him. Not that he was claustrophobic in any way, it was just his knowledge of the sheer size of the place that bothered him. He knew that below his feet were kilometers of room, labs and security quarters, making the Tokyo-3 Branch not only the first and most important one, but one of the most advanced facilities in the world.

That, and the many buried secrets that were kept there.

He took a turn to the right in the corridor, almost bumping in a blue haired girl who was turning at the same time as him. He stopped, managing to avoid the crash.

"I'm sorry, Rei. I didn't see you there", the old man explained in a respectful voice. The girl raised her head to look at him, no expression in her face.

"Professor Fuyutsuki. I beg your pardon, it was my fault", she said, bowing slightly. Her low toned voice went almost unheard by Fuyutsuki, as usual.

And also as usual, the Professor winced a bit internally upon seeing the girl's face: the resemblance was uncanny. He supposed he should've get used to it, after all those years. But some things never changed. And the painful memories were the hardest to forget.

It was silly to dwell on such things, though, so he nodded to the girl in acknowledgment.

"It is of no concern. Are you going to see Ikari?", he asked the girl. He could be at least polite and accompany the girl.

"Yes, the Commander requested my presence at once", she explained in the same monotone as before.

"Mind if I join you?"

Rei simply nodded. "As you wish", she told him.

Both began walking silently towards the Commander's office. Fuyutsuki kept his hands on his back, a custom of him: his position as sub-commander demanded a degree of professionalism. Rei walked looking straight ahead, staring in a deadpan way at nothing in particular.

After a few minutes, Fuyutsuki heard voices echoing in the corridor. Turning to look, he saw Captain Katsuragi, along with the newly arrived Fourth Child and Ikari's son, entering the elevator while talking rather loudly. The Captain apparently had developed a carefree nature around his Pilot roommate, teasing and joking with the boy.

It was unimportant: her job as operational director demanded a militaristic approach to the pilot, but when they were outside of combat, she could behave as she wanted. Ikari might've disapproved of such foolishness, but Fuyutsuki couldn't help but find their relation amusing.

The Fourth Child was different, though: he knew of her involvement with Agent Kaji and the destruction of Bethany Base. She had been listed as a pilot for years, ever since Gehirn. Apparently, her mother was a prominent scientist in the Nevada Branch, before passing away. The details of it were obscure, but the truth was obvious: the existence of Unit-05 and her designated pilot were proof of that.

No ties to SEELEE, though, besides her involvement with Agent Kaji. If Mr. Ryoji was willing to use children in his schemings, it was of no concern to NERV. After all, he did complete his task, and Pilot Makinami's involvement proved to be essential to it. All's well when it ends well.

The man noticed Rei staring at the elevator as well, a rare thoughtful expression on her face. How curious.

"What's your opinion on your fellow pilots, Rei?", he asked the girl with a soft smile. He couldn't help but treat her a normal teenager, no matter what Gendo had to say in the matter. The two of them were very different man, after all.

After the trio was out of sight, Rei put a hand on her chin, thinking about the question. Looking at Fuyutsuki, she gave an honest answer:

"Pilot Ikari approached few times, but always seemed to be polite. His piloting skills seem to be valuable for NERV."

"You didn't spoke to him much, then?", the man asked, curious. Rei was never one to approach people, he knew that much.

"I didn't. I was not ordered to", she explained, her tone deeming she found the statement an obvious one.

"You don't want to?", he asked. He knew he wasn't supposed to encourage any social interaction from Rei, but he had been told of Shinji Ikari's behaviour: far less submissive than planned. He wasn't sure if that was to the liking of Gendo, but it was pleasant surprise to Fuyutsuki.

He was her son, after all. His features reminded him of her.

Contrary to Gendo's beliefs, Fuyutsuki believed that the boy would benefit from social interaction. So did Rei.

If there was any harm in it, he honestly didn't care: both Gendo and Fuyutsuki knew where the other stood.

"I…", she began, but stopped. She frowned slightly and looked ahead, reflecting on the question. "It is of no matter what I want."

"I see", he simply responded, humming in acknowledgement. Rei watched his pensive expression, not knowing what she was supposed to respond. The Commander had issued no orders to her in that regard, meaning there was no advantage in doing so.

But she did catch herself thinking about her interactions with Ikari. Most NERV Personnel were polite to her whenever they addressed her. But most of them usually ignored the girl, as if she wasn't there.

Ikari was polite as well, but there was something different about it. He actively sought conversation with her, something that she wasn't used to. It was odd, and of no importance. But she would be lying if she said she wasn't curious.

The Professor returned to the conversation. "What about the Fourth?"

Rei kept looking forward, her walking pace as slow and elegant as ever. "Pilot Makinami seems to be an odd person. My first contact with her was almost nonsensical"

"And why is that?", the man asked.

"She doesn't behave like most people of NERV. She appears to have no regard for authority and seems to not take things seriously. If she doesn't follow orders, then she is of no use", she explained. "But her piloting skills seem to be sufficient. Even with the accident."

Fuyutsuki raised his eyebrows. "So you've heard, then?"

"Yes. She came out unharmed, fortunately. Unit-00 can be… problematic.", she said, lowering her head slightly. This reaction surprised the Professor. He coughed into his closed hand.

"We trust your skills, Rei. We'll see that this doesn't happen anymore", he told her. A part of him knew that he would regret such words.

Rei looked at the man with wide eyes, not sure of what to respond. After a few seconds, she nodded.

"...thank you, Professor. It seems we have arrived", she responded, pointing at a large black door at the end of a corridor.

Fuyutsuki nodded and went for the door's handle. It opened slowly, due to the size, but soon both the man and the girl could enter Gendo's office.

The place was somewhat impressive: a large black room, extending itself for almost thirty meters before Gendo's desk was placed, the only light source being the large window on the right side of the room. On the ground, the kabbalistic tree of life was drawn in large proportions, a symbol Gendo had chosen to symbolize their goal.

The office was intimidating, but Fuyutsuki was used to it: he had worked as Gendo's right hand man for years. It took more than a dark brooding room to scare him.

Looking ahead, the Professor noticed that there was nobody sitting in the desk. Instead, Gendo was standing by the window, Dr. Akagi just behind him. When he opened the door, both of them turned to see who had entered, before recognizing Fuyutsuki and quickly finishing up their conversation.

"Professor, Rei", Gendo greeted in a professional cold tone, walking back to his desk and sitting on it.

Fuyutsuki walked towards him, followed by Rei. "Good evening, Ikari. Dr. Akagi", he greeted as well, nodding to Ritsuko.

"You took your time, Professor", the woman nudged, her tone more criticizing than playful.

Fuyutsuki put his hands on his back, raising a brow to Akagi's comment.

"I beg your pardon. I met Rei on the way, so I accompanied her here", he explained.

"Had a pleasant conversation?"

"You'd be surprised."

Ritsuko stared at both, an odd look in her eyes, but brush it off. She approached the desk as well, looking at Gendo.

"We were discussing some data over the recent accident with Unit-00. Fortunately, the Fourth Child is unharmed and fit for piloting", she explained. "Rei's injuries are healed, so she is to return to active duty. Pilot Makinami will be assigned as Provisional pilot until Unit-05 is completed."

"Very well", the Commander agreed unemotionally. "The Fourth will be kept in standby, in case Rei in unable to pilot. However, his does not apply to Unit-01: the pilot brash and unprofessional nature is too much of a risk."

Rei got puzzled by the statement. If Pilot Ikari got hurt, who would be its pilot? It would be better to have two operational Units in combat, after all.

She didn't voice any concerns, though. She kept quiet.

Ritsuko approached the girl, looking at her sideways. "For now, we need to perform your monthly mental scan, Rei. Follow me", she said, starting to walk towards the door. Rei turned and followed her.

Before she left the room, Fuyutsuki noticed Akagi glancing at Gendo for a fraction of a second. The Commander didn't react to it, but he knew the man had noticed.

Fuyutsuki knew it was not his business, but he felt uncomfortable anyway. Ikari's tactics were not of his liking.

The doctor and the blue haired girl left the room, leaving both man alone. The Professor glanced at the door for a few more seconds, before turning to Gendo. They had business to attend to, after all.

"Has Akagi already spoken with the Fourth?", he asked Gendo. The Commander leaned with his elbows in his desk, but didn't cover his mouth: such a tactic wasn't need in the company of the Professor.

"Yes. It seems the Pilot deemed unnecessary to comment about Bethany Base's fate", he responded. "Her involvement with Agent Kaji on that regard has been kept a secret. No need to add any fingers to it."

"Do you have suspicions about the girl?", Fuyutsuki asked. Gendo liked having all the cards on his hands, so he doubted the man would've let anything slip.

"She is of no concern. There are no connections to SEELEE. She merely acted as a tool for Agent Kaji", the man explained. "In case she proves to be suspicious, I'll deal with it. But her skills proved to be useful, even with Unit-00's accident."

"Is that a compliment?", the Professor humored.

"Years of training should not be thrown to waste", Gendo retorted. "Her willingness to pilot is valuable. It saves us the trouble."

Fuyutsuki hummed. "I see", he said, before approaching the window on the side of the room. From there, he could see most of the Geofront, from its forest to the many train lines hanging from the laterals, a common form of transport for NERV Personnel. "What about Agent Kaji's package?"

"He has picked it up without any problems. All we have to do is wait", Gendo answered, grabbing some papers on his desk. "I've already instructed Dr. Akagi on the matter, but we will be needing a more direct specialist."

Fuyutsuki turned his head to Gendo, surprise in his eyes. "So you're really going to call him. What made change your mind?", he questioned.

"The situation did. Rokubungi is the only one left involved with the Adam Research, so he knows more than anyone here about it", Gendo explained.

Fuyutsuki stared at Ikari for a few seconds, reflecting on what he said. He talked of his brother as if he was a stranger, something that didn't sit well with him. He even called the man 'Rokubungi'. It seemed Ikari truly loathed his family name.

"I assume you tried to get a hold of his notes before deciding to call him directly", he accused the Commander.

Gendo made no reaction to the comment. "It would only raise suspicions from the old men. He has a few ties with them, after all. I believe his absorption into NERV is a more practical solution."

"Hmm, and here I thought you'd be against the idea", the Professor mused.

"What happened in the past is irrelevant, Professor. Rokubungi is a useful tool, and one we need", the Commander proclaimed.

"Very well", Fuyutsuki responded, but didn't say anything else.

Gendo stared at the man close to the window, frowning.

"Luckily, his ties with you and my son will keep him on a leash", the Commander said. "I imagine you are anxious about this reunion with your dear student", Gendo mocked the man.

Fuyutsuki turned to the window, once again admiring the Geofront. A soft smile formed on his face.

"Indeed I am."

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

 **Author's Notes: (Read the Disclaimer 2, top of the page).**

Anyway, here's part 2 of the chapter. I decided to link chapter into 'arcs' when needed. Thus, the parts.

Mari meets Shinji and Misato. Here's the potential for a lot of casual scenes (Of course, she won't be just _servisu servisu_ ) and a bit more from Rei, Gendo and Fuyutsuki. I enjoy setting up the story properly before going for the juicy bits, so as you can expect, this fic will probably be huge in size. No need to rush stuff.

See you guys soon, don't forget to leave a **review** and **favorite** the story.


	10. Not Your Kind of People Pt 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Neon Genesis Evangelion or The Rebuild of Evangelion.**

* * *

 **NEON GENESIS**

 **EVANGELION: SUBSTANCE**

 **Episode 10:**

" **Not Your Kind of People Pt. 3"**

* * *

 **Shinji pressed the switch on the metal door. With a hiss, the door opened, revealing the short corridor that lead to Misato Katsuragi's Apartment.**

Entering the living room, he was greeted with pretty much what he expected: beer cans scattered around on the table and floor, along with loads of insta-food packages just lying anywhere that wasn't the trash bin.

Shinji sighed: it seemed that his absence had left its mark. Dropping his bag on a chair, he grabbed a trashbag and began his work. Picking up one after one, the boy wondered how the woman managed to even stay alive.

As he picked up the last one, he took a good look at it: it feature the drawing of a man in a traditional japanese costume, with the words ' _Premium Yebisu_ ' below it. Shinji didn't knew a single thing about beer, but he hoped that Misato's favorite brand wasn't too expensive, considering how much of it she bought.

The woman had left him at the apartment while she was taking Mari to her new quarters, leaving the boy to make some food for them while she was out. No need to say it twice: Shinji was _starving_. He needed a lot of willpower to convince himself that the hospital food was actually edible.

After finishing the cleanup, he grabbed his bag and went to his room. The place, unsurprisingly, was the same way he left three days ago: neatly organized and clean. Misato could be nosy sometimes, but she knew her limits: enough to avoid messing with his room without is permission. Not that he wouldn't let her, of course: he had nothing to hide, and even if he did, he trusted her enough. She would just tease the boy endlessly, but that was it.

Because of that, he had been surprised at the scold he had received from her on the hospital. It seemed that there were many sides on Misato Katsuragi.

Shinji had thought about the woman's words earlier that day: they were harsh and commanding, something he expected to receive from someone like… like his father. He remembered the first conversation they had in years, back at Unit-01's cages: he thought about it often. It had been the day he started piloting, the day they had pushed him into a world and reality he had never expected to be part of.

Shinji frowned. Not from resentment at his father, or Misato or Dr. Akagi, but at himself.

He had _chosen_ to pilot. When he made that decision, he wanted to protect people: at the time, he thought that he couldn't let that mysterious blue-haired girl pilot on his place. She was too injured. She would surely die facing the Angel. He knew it because he almost did.

With time, he realized that if he kept piloting, he could protect everyone: those he knew, and those he didn't. He piloted on his own volition, there was no one forcing him.

He piloted because he _wanted_ it.

He could point fingers at anyone, blaming and accusing, but the truth would remain on his heart: it was his wish to do his best so no one would be hurt again.

He had assumed Misato didn't understand: that she had put on her cold military facade and scolded him for not following orders, simply fearing a reprimand from higher ups. For the mighty NERV, only results mattered. He was only a tool to be used, wasn't he?

But the more he heard the woman's words, the more he realized: she didn't do it because he had ignored her orders. She didn't say those words because she was a superior officer, expecting her soldier to follow every order she barked.

She did it because she was worried with him.

When he realized that, he felt like someone had punched his guts. He risked himself piloting, throwing his life to the line of fire with no regards for what other people thought.

Had he considered Misato's feeling when he turned off the comm? When he threw himself at the Angel, in an almost suicidal way?

He had only thought of himself, of what people would think of him if he had let anyone die. He was the only one who could avoid that, right? Misato would be happy as long as he had the job done, right? If he saved everyone, they wouldn't scold him, or beat him, or abandon him, right?

Shinji was disgusted with his own selfishness.

He rubbed his arm, feeling the cold metal of the object on his wrist. He shouldn't run away, he knew that. But maybe his reasons for not doing it were wrong. He wanted to protect them, but hadn't spent a second thinking about their perspectives: what would Misato think if he died in the battle? What would Uncle Akira think?

Misato had been nice to him, treating him like a friend, someone she genuinely enjoyed the company of. She had worried for him, the kid who she had welcomed to her home without blinking, the boy boy who she always joked with and warmly smiled to.

Akira had been like a father to him. He cared about him, and had been there for most of his life, supporting him at his lowest and cheering him at the highest. He didn't want to disappoint him.

But the truth was that if he kept acting like he did, he would surely do so. Shinji felt a pang of guilt: his selfishness could hurt all those he cared for. He needed to trust Misato. He needed to trust his uncle.

He would pilot for himself, the himself that cared about the closest to him. Instead of pleasing them for his own good, he would show them that they mattered. That he would do it for them and for all the bonds they shared. This was _his_ decision.

He wasn't alone in the fight. And even if he were, he would fight anyway. He wouldn't run away.

Shinji sighed, his eyes wandering the room: his room. His clothes hanging on the wardrobe, the monochromatic nature of it not bothering him even slightly: he liked black and white, a somber combination that made him feel comfortable with himself, no matter what others thought. Some could accuse him of lacking style, but he favored confort over flashiness.

Even so, he had a few more casual clothes on it: removing his uniform, he switched it for a pair of jeans and a red t-shirt. Misato would be back soon, so he made his way to the kitchen thinking about his options on cooking. Maybe some katsudon.

He passed by the small fridge beside the normal one, and remembered something.

"Pen-Pen, you hungry?", he asked, leaning to open the fridge. Since arriving at Misato's residence, the boy had developed a strange relation with the penguin: at first, the creature had been suspicious of the boy, squinting its eyes whenever he passed by. In time, it realized that the boy would be a much better source of food than its owner, the strange woman who seemed to spent most of her time drunk on her ass.

Pen-Pen had took a liking for the boy. He wouldn't admit it even if he could speak, tough.

When Shinji opened the fridge, he was greeted with the sight of a penguin covered with many already eaten salmon, with only their bones as evidence. The penguin, on his end, was snoring loudly, its belly protuberant after what Shinji would call a banquet.

Shinji didn't knew if normal birds actually snored, but Pen-Pen was nothing like a normal bird.

He sighed and closed the small fridge, opening the the large one in search of the ingredients he needed. They were there, alright: pork, vegetables, eggs and etc.

Unfortunately, the smell gave it away: upon closer inspection, Shinji noticed the rotten nature of them. He groaned: Misato must've left the fridge open while drunk, spoiling the food. It seemed that the Katsuragi Household was unable to function without him.

Sighing, he removed the spoiled ingredients and threw them in the trash. He would have to make a run for the nearest market, and pray that it would be open at that hour of the night.

He entered his room in search of his wallet, finding it close to a cellphone. Something clicked on his mind: he had forgot about Misato's gift. Picking it up, the screen lightened up, with something Shinji didn't expect on it.

3 missed calls, unknown number. Shinji raised a brow, before placing the object on his pocket. If it wasn't Misato, he could check it later.

But when he turned to leave after getting his wallet, he noticed a rectangular object on his nightstand, an object he hadn't seen in many days. Smiling faintly, he went ahead and picked it up as well.

His SDAT was the same way he had left it: a bit worned out, but still functional. Shinji plugged the headphones on the small hole on the device and placed the plugs on his ears. He pressed the 'play' button.

Soon, he heard the faint sound of the cellos rise, almost like the calmness before the storm. It filled him with peace, a sentiment he often felt when listening to one of his favorite songs.

The orchestra made their way into the melody, Shinji humming along and moving his hands while he prepared to leave.

' _Ode to Joy'._ For him, it certainly was so. The first tape that he had heard on the SDAT, and the one he kept inside it for most of the time. It immediately brought him memories of his childhood, when Uncle Akira had heard of his accomplishments with a cello from his teacher. The man had bought him one as a gift, a gift Shinji was happy to use.

The instrument was now stored in his room, inside the wardrobe. Maybe he could practice some more when he had free time. His skills when he first started playing were laughable at best, but both his teacher and his uncle had seen potential on the boy.

At first, he played because he didn't want to waste the gift. It would be impolite to simply abandon it just like that. But eventually, Shinji noticed how much he had improved with it, being able to play his favorite symphonies with ease. That filled him with a sense of accomplishment: he was getting better at it, all on his own. He was happy when playing it.

He started to practice often. Not because of expectations, but for his own improvement. At each step of the way, he could feel the enjoyment he felt growing more and more.

His uncle was proud of him. But most importantly, Shinji was proud of himself.

Shinji locked the apartment's door behind him, feeling the warm wind breeze through him, coming from the darkness of the night. Even if the days in Tokyo-3 were hot like hell, the nights were somewhat pleasant. With the SDAT on his pocket and wearing its earbuds, he made his way towards the stairs.

The streets were mostly empty, with the exception of one or two passerby minding their own business. It reminded him of his first day in Tokyo-3: an empty city, like a ghost town that had just been abandoned. Obviously, this time was different: he could see the many lightened up windows of the city's homes, along with police officers making rounds, mostly looking out for homeless people sleeping where they shouldn't.

The city was in peaceful darkness, like it always did when an invasion was not happening. 'Guess people got used to it', Shinji thought. He couldn't lie: he enjoyed that feeling of calmness. It reminded him of home.

He made his way through the streets, humming Beethoven's melody. His objective was just around the corner: the local grocery shop, the one he was used to go whenever he needed. Good prices, too.

Turning on the corner, he was greeted with an unfortunate sight: the shop was closed, all lights out and a big metallic door covering it.

Shinji groaned. He scratched his head, thinking about his options. Maybe he could by some insta food on some 7/24 around the city, since it was the only option left.

"Hey."

Of course, Misato would probably tease him with a 'Surrendering yourself to the wonders of cheap food, Shin-chan?', or something like that. He would have to search for a place that was open around that time, of course. Being a newcomer to Tokyo-3, he wasn't very knowledgeable on the city's spots, so he could…

"Hey, dude", a voice called him. Shinji almost didn't heard it, the song on his earbuds louder than usual. Surprised, Shinji removed them from his ears and looked to his side, searching for the whoever had called him.

A few meters from him, stood a brown haired boy wearing a sports jacket. Hands on his pockets, he stared at Shinji with a strange expression: he frowned at the pilot, but there was something else on his eyes.

Shinji gasped in surprise, not knowing what to say. The boy beat him to it, raising his hand in dismissal.

"Relax, man. Didn't came here to punch you or anything", he explained.

Shinji stood still for a few seconds, before putting his hand on his sides, relaxing. He wasn't afraid of any aggression from the boy, he was just surprised to see him.

"I wasn't… well, I just didn't expect to see you here", he explained, letting out a small laugh.

The boy smirked, looking at his own feet. He pointed at the closed store besides them.

"Came to buy some stuff. The one we got on our street was closed, so I ran here to see if it was still open. Dad and grandpa are still working at the lab, so I'm on my own", he started to say, but stopped and looked at Shinji, snorting. "Sorry, ya didn't ask anything and I'm here blurting out stuff."

"No, it's okay", Shinji said, now raising his own hand. "Your parents work at NERV?"

The jock bit his lip and looked down. "Well, just my father and grandfather. Mom passed away a long time ago", he explained.

Something stung Shinji's insides and his eyes widened, but he kept quiet.

"Heh, they gave us a lecture after all that robot stuff we got involved", he continued, laughing softly. "But in the end they just busted Kensuke's camera and that was it. I was 'fraid they would fire dad, but we got lucky and they let us go."

Shinji snorted lightly. "He's the one with the glasses, right?"

"Yep. Bit of a nerd sometimes, but he's a good guy. You should…", he started, but suddenly frowned and scratched his head, looking down. He kept doing it for some time, as if he was thinking about something. He sighed and continued, looking at Shinji with a strange, but friendly, expression.

"Hey, look, I'm sorry about all that...beating and stuff", he told Shinji in an apologetic tone. "I was angry about my sister getting hurt, but… I know it's not your fault."

Shinji pressed his lips together. He understood what the boy meant, but it didn't free him from the guilt he felt when learning about the injured girl.

"It _is_ my fault. If I had been better, that wouldn't have happened", he explained, his voice low.

"Dude, we had no idea how it was inside one of those things before we got on it!", the jock exclaimed, bothered by Shinji's sense of guilt. He crossed his arms, looking at the boy in front of him. "It hurts...doesn't it?"

Shinji kept quiet for a bit, thinking about the question. Did it? The EVA only brought the sensations of pain when the Unit was damaged. If he got hurt, it was his own fault.

"Only when the EVA suffers damage. It's… complicated", Shinji tried to explain, sighing.

"We saw you almost dying in that thing, man", the tall boy said, frowning. He didn't understand any of that EVA stuff (maybe Kensuke did), but he could figure that it wasn't a pleasant experience. "Can I ask ya something?"

Shinji raised his head, confused. "What is it?"

The boy scratched his cheek for a second. "Why… why do you pilot that thing?"

The question made Shinji freeze. It was the same question he had asked himself for some time, the one he struggled with. He thought it over some time, looking at his own feet as if they would give him a responde. None came.

He already had an answer. His answer.

"Because…", he started, hesitating. "Because I want to protect people. I want to do what is best for them. For those I care about", he explained, closing his eyes and rubbing his hand on his cheek. "I couldn't run away. If I did, I would never forgive myself."

The tall boy heard the response and kept silent for some time, gazing at Shinji while pressing his lips together. Slowly, he huffed and scratched his neck.

"Shit, so that's why", he said, laughing at himself. "Guess I should feel pretty dumb."

Shinji raised his hand, sighing at his own failure. "Don't. Your sister got hurt because I wasn't good enough. I didn't ran away, but… what good am I if I can't even do what I want to do? If I fail every step of the way?"

"My sister got hurt because of that monster, not because of you!", the boy exclaimed, frowning. "Listen, you can feel sorry for yourself because of it, but it ain't going to do any good."

Shinji's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

The boy approached Shinji in a fast pace, a determined look on his face. For a second, Shinji thought he was going to punch him again, stepping back. But he simply stopped and stared at the the pilot.

"If you want to protect people, you hafta promise me!", he almost yelled. "Promise me that you won't give up. That ya won't let anything like what happened to my sister happen again."

Shinji gasped, surprised. He didn't expect those words. The tall boy continued:

"Look, I saw you inside that thing. You jumped at that monster like some crazy hero or something. You almost got wasted, and you didn't even flinch", he explained, grabbing Shinji by the shoulders. "I believe in ya, man. So promise me."

Shinji's eyes widened. The boy that had punched him because of his failure was right in front of him, begging him to not give up, to continue to fight, to improve and never let anyone else get hurt again. It was a heavy promise, one Shinji wasn't sure if he could keep.

But one he was willing to try.

"I… I promise", he responded, a soft smile on his face.

The boy looked at Shinji for a few seconds, before grinning and letting go of the pilot.

"Good", he said. "My sister believes in ya too. She almost beat my ass when she found out about the whole… punching thing", he continued, grunting and looking sideways, clearly uncomfortable. "So… I need you to do something else too."

Shinji raised a brow. "Do… what?"

The boy let out a long sigh, before stiffening and closing his eyes. "I need ya to punch me back."

Shinji blinked, not sure if he heard it right. " _What?_ "

"Ya heard it! If you don't, I'll feel bad for the rest of my life!", he exclaimed, his eyes still closed. "Just do it!"

Shinji looked at the jock as if he had grown a second head out of nowhere. He wanted him to punch him? He got more confused as each second passed.

But seeing that the boy wouldn't let it go, as he was standing still, his eyes closed and readying himself for an incoming blow, Shinji sighed and decided to comply. He was the one who asked, after all. He felt no pleasure in doing so, however.

"O-okay, if you say so", Shinji answered, somewhat confused by the situation. He raised his fist, ready to punch. "Here I go, okay?"

The tall boy frowned, bothered by his hesitation. "Just do it! That's how men settle stuff!", he explained, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Shinji had serious doubts about that belief.

Pulling his arm back, Shinji swinged his fist towards the boy's face, landing on it with precision and strength. Even if Shinji didn't wanted to hurt him, he figured that he would get mad if Shinji didn't gave it his all.

The boy fell backwards, landing on his butt and rubbing his hand on his cheek. "Damn, for someone so scrawny, ya sure pack some punch", he said, whistling. He readied himself to get up, but Shinji had already extended a hand. The boy stared at it for a second, before grinning and accepting the help.

"Well, that settles stuff", he said, laughing. "Thanks, Ikari."

Shinji smiled. "Well, if you say so, uh…", he stopped after realizing he didn't even knew his name.

The boy raised his hand, smirking. "Relax, man. I'm Toji Suzuhara. Just call me Toji", he explained, extending his hand.

Shinji nodded in acknowledgement. "Well… call me Shinji, then", he said, smiling and shaking Toji's hand.

Suddenly, they heard a yell besides them. Turning to see who it was, they noticed an irate-looking police officer approaching them. Both kids got scared at the tall man marching at them.

"What is happening here?", he questioned, authority in his voice. He turned to Shinji: "That's physical aggression, are you aware of that?!"

Shinji gasped and raised his hands, trying to explain the situation, but Toji raised his own and budged in.

"Sorry, officer, we were just settling some stuff. It's all good now, I promise", he explained.

The officer stared at him, and seeing the sincerity in his eyes, he huffed.

"Well, alright", he said, putting his hands behind his back. "But I'll be watching you, young man", he said, piercing Shinji with his eyes. Shinji gulped.

After the officer left, Toji let out a small laugh. "Shit, guess we can't be doing that in public, huh?"

Shinji scratched his head. "Well, uh, there's probably some Section 2 agents watching over me, so…"

Toji's eyes widened in fear. "What?! There are dudes watching over you right now?", he exclaimed, looking around him worried. He found none. "Shit, what if they are stalking me after I beat you up that time?"

"N-no, relax! I didn't do anything", he tried to explain, but Toji just laughed.

"Calm down, man, I'm just screwing with ya", he said, smiling. He looked up to the darkness of the sky, sighing. "Shit, it's getting late. I should go home."

Shinji calmed down, sighing as well. "Yeah, me too."

Both boys stood there for a few seconds, not knowing what to say. After a while, Toji looked at the pilot, scratching his arm.

"Uh, look, I'll see you tomorrow at school, okay?", he told Shinji, seeming awkward for a second. "You can hang out with us or something."

Shinji mouthed an 'oh' in surprise, but nodded after a second. "Yeah, I will."

Toji smiled, turning to leave. Before he could do so, he hard Shinji calling him.

"Hey…", he said, seeming unsure of what he was going to say. "Can I… visit your sister at the hospital sometime?"

Toji looked back, surprised by the question. He lowered his head, thinking about it for a while. If he had asked it a few days before, he would've just given him another punch.

"Yeah… sure, you can come with me someday", he said, before groaning. "But ya gonna owe me: I'll have to listen to her fangirling over the famous NERV pilot or some shit."

Shinji laughed at the idea, and Toji smiled softly. This Ikari wasn't such a bad guy after all.

"Gotta go", he said, waving. "See ya, man."

Shinji waved back. "See you tomorrow."

After Toji went away, clouded by the night, Shinji stood there for some time. He's not such a bad guy, after all.

Remembering that he still needed to make Misato some food, he turned around and made his way home. He would figure out something to cook when he got there.

His earbuds hanged from his collar, the faint sound of the choir reaching Shinji's ears.

' _Freude, schöner Götterfunken, Tochter aus Elysium,_ _Wir betreten feuertrunken,_

 _Himmlische, dein Heiligtum!_ _'_

* * *

Mari stopped in front of a metallic door, the apartment's number painted on it with an seemingly new coat of paint. Apparently, the building she would be living was recently constructed, something that made girl snicker in satisfaction. A nice place to live was a good change of pace.

Misato had dropped her right in front of the building, and wanted to accompany the girl on her first time entering her new quarters. Mari simply waved in dismissal, saying that she would take care of things herself. Misato simply shrugged, obviously happy with the prospect of going home and taking a good shower. After the goodbyes were said and done, Mari smiled: she had some inspections to make.

She opened the door, being greeted with the smell of paint on the walls. She groaned, knowing they would take a few days to get rid of. She opened her pack and took her old plugsuit out, sniffing it. The smell of LCL was much nicer.

She placed the bag on a wooden table in the middle of the living room, and took a good look around: it was a rather practical place, being clean and plain. But it had all the commodities she needed, like a fridge, a stove, a nice bathroom and a nice bed.

But it also had what would prove the best of all: a balcony.

Opening the glass door, she stepped out and breathed the warm air. From where she stood, she couldn't see much of a view, but there it was anyway: Tokyo-3, the city she had heard so much about. The most advanced city in the world, home to NERV, the first line of defense against Angels.

And home to the secrets who could destroy the entire world. It was time for Mari to begin her own efforts to prevent that.

The reason she couldn't get a god view was obvious: a large building blocking the view. It was a residential one, with many balconies just like hers. She noticed that the one right in front of her window was vacant, it drawers closed and no furniture to be seen inside.

Any person living there could easily communicate with her through the balcony without the chance of being seen.

This gave Mari an idea. She already needed to send some info, so she would be sure to add that to the message. Every bit of advantage was good to go, after all.

She giggled. "This is starting to get fun!"

Using her phone, she pressed a few buttons and hit 'send'.

No need to worry about interception: her phone's encryption would take care of it. She would need to get a normal one, tough, to make things less suspicious.

After doing her job, she threw herself on her bed, sighing and stretched herself, feeling sleepy all of the sudden.

It had been an interesting day: meeting Misato Katsuragi and the Third Child, and talking a little with Ayanami, the girl who was a focus of interest for her.

Was it curiosity? She didn't knew. But if she was close to the Commander, she could be a good lead.

It didn't hurt that she was good looking, too.

As for Ikari, he seemed like a nice guy. Got flustered easily, sure, but had more courage in him than he realized: that stunt he pulled against the Fourth Angel didn't passed by her unnoticed.

And, like Ayanami, it didn't hurt that he was _also_ good looking.

All in all, all she needed was to keep being a simple EVA pilot. Eventually WILLE would send her specific orders, and they would be executed with swift professionalism. She was _Agent_ Makinami, after all. Not many titles spelled 'bad-ass' for Mari like 'Agent' did.

She remembered that Misato had given her some papers she got with Ritsuko: an school emblem on top of the page, with some blanks to fill. Misato instructed her to present them tomorrow at the address written there. Picking them up, she grabbed a pen from her bag and began filling it.

Mari smirked at the prospect of attending school. Her mission on Tokyo-3 just kept getting better and better.

* * *

 **(Tokyo-2, Japan's Prime Minister Official Residence)**

"From what I gathered from your explanation, Ms. Nakano", Shintaro Towada said, circling a small spoon on his cup of coffee. "Is that you have suspicions on NERV and its branches, and would like to take action on this suspicions. Suspicions, as of now, apparently unfounded."

Izumi Nakano shifted the weight on her legs. Conversations with the Prime Minister were always a bother for her: the large room held no chairs one could sit (except on official visits), making her stand straight up on the middle of the room.

On the end of the place, a wooden desk stood in the middle, with Minister Towada sitting on a large chair. He kept his gaze on the woman, fixing his coffee. He had offered her one, but she refused.

Above him, a large pendulum swinged left to right, similar to a clock, making the already huge room seem way bigger. She didn't knew the purpose of it, or if it even had one. Intimidation, maybe?

"What I mean, Mr. Prime Minister", she began, a professional tone on her voice. "Is that not all people on NERV are the epitome of righteousness. I am simply requesting the permission to make an investigation on my own. Surely, this could benefit all of us."

The man removed the spoon from the cup, raising it to his mouth and taking a sip.

"On your own? I was sure you were teaming up with Rokubungi on this", he said, frowning slightly. "We don't condone emotional actions here, Ms. Nakano. Mr. Rokubungi's ties with NERV and it's commander are not to be ignored."

"Akira's intentions have the goodwill of this country in mind, Mr. Prime Minister. His relation with Gendo Ikari may be troubled, but that is not the reason we suspect", she explained, hands behind her back.

The minister took another sip, this time cooling the drink with a soft blow.

"No bad blood between brothers, then?", he asked.

"That is not for me to say. Even so, he was involved with the creation of Gehirn. If he has suspicions, then I have suspicions as well", she told him. "We will not leave you without evidences, of course."

The Minister lowered his cup, placing it on the desk. He stared at Izumi for some time, apparently analyzing the woman for any signs of hesitation.

He found none.

"I see. So, if I were to give you permission for this operation, where would you start?", he asked her, curious.

Izumi cleared her throat.

"We need permission to access certain files outside the system", she began to explain. "We have knowledge that they are stored at an abandoned hospital building on Toyohashi City."

The Prime Minister raised his brows. "What could that have in connection to NERV?"

Izumi smiled. "They belonged to Kozo Fuyutsuki, NERV's sub-commander."

Towada put a hand on his chin, thinking. Even if he doubted that Agent Nakano and Rokubungi would find anything useful, he trusted her skills. If there was any dirt on NERV, she was the one capable of finding.

"I see. But that's not the end of it, is it?"

"It's not. My advice would be planting a mole on Tokyo-3, for guarantee. Someone they need, and that couldn't be disposed that easily", Izumi explained.

"You mean…"

"Yes", she confirmed. "Mr. Rokubungi will surely be requested by Gendo Ikari. He was a man of science, after all."

The Prime Minister let out a tired sigh.

"What about Agent Kaji?"

Izumi raised a brow.

"Do you trust him?"

Towada rose from his chair. Even if he wasn't fat, his age had caught up with him, as he was not at the peak of his physical condition. His grey receding hair was proof of it.

He walked towards the window, gazing at the city sprawled before him.

"Agent Kaji has some complications on his file, a few connections I'm not comfortable with", he explained, hand on his chin. "So to answer your question: no, I don't."

"Connections like that are inevitable to people like us", Izumi said. "Nobody is free from them. But I assure you, Mr. Prime Minister: we are loyal to Japan, and its people."

Towada turned his head and stared at her. Both Izumi and Akira had served him for years, and had to yet let him down. He trusted her instincts, for the lack of a better word.

"So you deny our nature as pawns?", he questioned. "It is a dangerous game, Izumi."

Izumi smirked.

"I do not, Mr. Prime Minister", she said. "But even pawns can win a game, if used correctly."

Towada kept his gaze on the woman, thinking. A dangerous person, for sure. If she set out on a objective, no one could stand on her way: he could say that from experience. The Prime Minister had always kept a glint of doubt: the nature of his job demanded that he never trusted anyone, so there were always suspicions on the back of his mind.

Especially in regards of his superiors.

Shintaro Towada decided to give them the benefit of the doubt. If Rokubungi and Akano had a lead, he would trust it, for now.

"Very well", he declared. "You'll be given permission to investigate. For now, gather those files you've spoken of."

"Yes, sir", Izumi said, bowing. "What about the mole?"

Towada returned to his chair, finishing his cup of coffee in one gulp.

"We'll have to wait for it", he said. "The Old Men are nothing if not patient."

* * *

"I assume it went well, judging by you face", Akira mocked the faint smile on Izumi's face when she left the room. The man was sitting outside the minister's office, reading a some complicated book that Izumi couldn't decipher even the title.

"Do not assume things so easily", she said rispitly. "But yes, we have permission for now, as well as the prospect of planting a spy on Gendo's Castle."

Akira stood up, holding his book on his side.

"That would be me?", he asked, smirking.

"Of course", she responded, walking through the corridors. Akira followed her. "Many gears are moving with the objective of transferring you to Tokyo-3. A strike of good luck, wouldn't you say?"

Akira hummed. "Sure."

"Don't lie to me. I'm sure you're eager to meet sensei after all those years. Not to mention the boy", she said, smirking. "And your brother, too. I bet there's going to be a big Welcome party."

"Didn't knew I was so popular", he mocked.

Izumi gazed at the man sideways. Wearing a dark suit, the man surely benefited from proper clothing. His brown hair was cut short, the bangs that used to get in the way of his dark eyes gone. She noticed that he had shaved as well, but dark circles on his eyes didn't lie: he was tired from all the work.

"You should. You look good on a suit, Akira", she told him playfully. "I'm glad that the years you spent on the countryside didn't strip you of your sense of style."

"Oh", he mouthed, before letting out a small laugh. "Some things never change. Some do, gladly, like your fashion tastes from college."

"Respect your senpai, Akira-kun", she said, smiling faintly. "Would you care for some coffee? I have some things to discuss."

"Of course, so do I. Bethmann passed this along", he said, handing the woman the book he carried. Opening it on the marked page, she found a series of dots and line scribbled on it.

After a minute of discreet translation, she understood its meaning.

' _The forbidden fruit has been delivered. Awaiting orders. Point of interest: Kanto, 223, 303_ '.

Izumi nodded, looking at Akira. The man had a disappointed expression on his face, probably because there was no mention of his nephew condition after the battle against the Fourth Angel.

"Oh, stop moping. You can just call him", she said, nudging him with an elbow.

"I did, but he didn't answer", he explained, sighing. "Let an old man worry, Izumi."

"I'm sure you got the wrong number anyway. Classical Akira", she mocked, hand on her chin. She stared at the morse code message: simple and direct. "But I have to say, Bethmann chose well."

"Indeed", Akira responded, picking the book back. "For such a young girl, she has a lot of professionalism."

Izumi snorted.

"Just wait until you meet her."

* * *

 **(Germany, Berlin Branch of NERV)**

Ryoji Kaji entered his room, an already lit cigarette on his mouth. The automatic door locked behind him, giving him the privacy he needed.

He approached his wardrobe, putting his hand on the space between it and the wall. After a second, he found what he was looking for: a small crack , which he pulled sideways. Placing the piece of metal away, he picked up an object inside the hole that was hidden: a heavy metallic suitcase.

After a few seconds analyzing it for any tampering, he pressed a button on its side, which made a small black screen to lighten up.

' _No contamination. Vacuum procedures at 100%'_ , read the green text.

Smiling to himself, he place the case back on the hiding place, putting everything back as it was before. Squeezing the cigarette butt on his ashtray, he unlocked the door and left the room.

Walking on the corridors, he passed by some technicians discussing things he had no knowledge about. One of them was a cute blonde girl, to which he gave one of his trademark smirks. The girl blushed and smiled, before going on her way.

Kaji snorted at his own hobby: he just couldn't help it.

"I see you're back in action, Mr. Kaji", a voice called from behind him.

Kaji turned to see Major Bethmann, hands on his back and wearing his ever present frown.

He couldn't blame the man: germans weren't know for their smiles, after all. At least, Bethmann could joke, better than most officers Kaji knew.

"Always am, Major", he responded, smiling. "What can I help you with?"

Bethmann extended his hand towards Kaji, holding something that confused the agent.

"Uh… chocolate?", he asked.

"Very observant", Bethmann retorted. The Major's humour came mostly from the lowest form of it: sarcasm.

Kaji snorted. "Well, Valentine's day is way ahead, Major."

"Perhaps. Maybe you could present yours to the _fräulen_ back there", he said, pointing to the corridor where that blonde girl had passed. "But give the other to Miss Sohryu. I bought a few, and thought it would be courteous to give her one."

"Well, the thought is what counts", Kaji responded, picking the two bars. "But you'll need a lot more than chocolate to get on her good graces."

"Just a gift, Mr. Kaji", Bethmann explained. "I want to check on her status, if you don't mind. You were going to pay a visit to her, weren't you?"

Kaji smiled. "Very observant, Major", he mocked the man with his own words.

Bethmann smirked.

* * *

"Asuka, can I come in?", Kaji asked, pressing the doorbell.

No response. Kaji scratched his head.

"Asuka?", he pressed again.

After a few seconds, they heard muffled sounds, and steps coming towards the door.

The door opened, showing a redhead girl, with long hair tied down by two A-10 clips on both sides. Her soft white skin contrasted with the hair's fierce color, along with her shining blue eyes. She smiled brightly, bringing the best features of her face to display. Which was exactly why Kaji knew it wasn't a completely sincere one.

But looking down, both man noticed that the girl was wearing only a t-shirt and her undies, nothing more. Both looked away at the girl's state of undress, sighing.

Bethmann knew that the girl's behaviour tended to go to… unusual places when Mr. Kaji was involved.

"Kaji! I was waiting for you! I...", she began to say, before noticing Bethmann's presence. Her face turned in to a scowl, and she shrieked. " _Scheisse!_ What is he doing here?", she hissed, trying to cover herself with her arms.

"Asuka! Put some clothes on, for god's sake!", Kaji ordered, tired of the frequent attempts the girl made.

Asuka Langley Sohryu closed the door at max speed, cursing and swearing at the Major. Since both were german, the man knew the weight of her choice of words, an amalgamon of 'Pervert!' and 'Asshole!'. He simply snickered.

Kaji groaned, glancing at the man. "I'm glad you're enjoying it, Major."

"Well, if the pilot is well enough to flash herself to you, I'm sure she will be fine for the synch test tomorrow", Bethmann said, laughing faintly. "Remind her of it, Mr. Kaji. Oh, and good luck", he said, before taking his leave.

Kaji sighed, watching the Major walk away with hands on his pocket. A strange man, that was. But Kaji didn't had to time to think of it, as Asuka opened the door, almost making him fall on her.

"Is he gone?", she asked, squinting her eyes.

"Yes, he is", he responded, noticing that the girl was now wearing some pants. Thank god.

"Well…", she said, smiling at the man and giving him puppy eyes. "Come in, Kaji."

Kaji sighed again, entering the room. "Just came to check on you, kid. How are things?"

The man sat at a chair besides her desk, something that upset Asuka: if he had sat on the bed, she could go beside him and snuggle on him.

Kaji was smarter, though.

The girl dropped on her bed, huffing. "It's been sooo boring!", she exclaimed. "You weren't here for the last weeks, so I had nothing to do!"

Kaji snickered. "Aren't you missing Mari too?"

Asuka frowned. "Why would I miss that four-eyed freak?"

"I don't know, you two seemed to at least tolerate each other", he explained. Or, at least, Mari did: Asuka seemed to reject the company of anyone but him, which was somewhat bothersome. Even so, it was good that Asuka had at least someone of her age to talk to. Even if by 'talking', he meant 'screaming' and 'bickering'.

"Hmpf, I don't need anyone but you, Kaji", she said, her smile back. "It's no fun without you."

"Really?", he mocked. "Well, our estimated Major has sent you a gift", he said, throwing the chocolate bar at the bed.

Asuka frowned and picked the bar, analyzing it. "Well, it could be worse", she concluded, placing it sideways.

"It could", Kaji said. He had given the chocolate a bit of an analysis earlier. There was nothing wrong with it, so the Major had apparently given it from the goodness of his heart. Strange man. "Anyway, what have you been doing?"

Asuka sat on the bed, hugging her legs. She pointed at a television set installed on a corner. Looking at the screen, she saw what it seemed to be recording of the battles against the Third and Fourth Angel.

Unit-01 ripping the Third's arms. Unit-01 jumping towards the Forth and making a deadly stand against the Angel. The Ikari kid had surprised Kaji: he had guts, that's for sure.

Kaji raised a brow. "Well, didn't knew you were interested on it."

"Yeah, I am", she said, sighing. Kaji analysed the girl: she rarely was on a bad mood around him, so it must have a good reason.

"What's wrong, Asuka?", he asked, worried.

She frowned at the screen for a bit, thinking.

"Isn't he an _amateur_?" she asked, venon on her words. "How can he pilot so well?"

Kaji put a hand on his chin. So _that's_ why.

"I don't know. Maybe the kid has talent. Maybe it was just luck", he said, trying to defuse the situation. "You saw how he almost lost on the fight against the Fourth."

Asuka grinned. 'Good', Kaji thought in relief.

"Yeah, he almost got his _arsch_ kicked", she said, snorting. "And he got really lucky: his cable was out, and he didn't even seemed to notice. This pilot is so _stupid_."

Kaji smiled. "Well, I wouldn't judge him by some videos. Someday you'll meet him", he said.

" _Yeah_ , so I can teach that idiot how it's done!", she responded, her tone high and mighty.

The man laughed faintly at this. The girl was so proud and fierce… but also so fragile.

Over the years, he had learned how to interact with the girl. At first, she had been distant and rejective. Over time, she learned to trust the man, growing more and more attached.

More than he would wish for. At that, Kaji sighed.

"I gotta go, kid", he said, standing up. "I'll meet you later for dinner."

Asuka turned her head to him, her eyes shining. "A romantic dinner?", she asked, smiling cutely.

Kaji snorted. "No, just dinner. Sorry", he responded. "See ya, kid."

The man left the room, leaving Asuka on her own.

After a few seconds, Asuka threw her pillow on the wall in frustration. She hated when Kaji called her 'kid'. She wasn't a kid anymore.

Looking at the recordings, she huffed at the stupidity of the pilot: throwing himself at the battle, as if nothing mattered. Even with less than seconds left, he kept fighting.

And managed to destroy two Angels. _Two._

Asuka growled, displeased. She would have a lot of catching up to do. Why didn't they send her to Tokyo-3 already? Her patience was at the limit.

She would make a triumphal entrance, of course. They had to know she was the best pilot around.

And she would show that _stupid_ pilot how its done.

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** The end of the "Not your Kind of People" arc, let's say.

Here we have a bit of Shinji's self reflections, one of the most interesting aspects of the series. Made a good efford to make my own version of it, so I hope you guys enjoy it. Funny, when I first wrote Izumi, i didn't expect her to be so 'proeminent' (even Akira got sidelined). But don't worry: Akira will appear a LOT more, and he won't just be "oh I'm a good adult and I fixed Shinji's problems". He won't be a bidimensional character, I promise: I believe you'll find his background and past quite interesting.

And finally, the big 'Shikinami or Sohryu' question is answered. Our dear Miss Sohryu is probably my favorite character ever, so I actually _afraid_ of writing her. I care too much about it to screw it up.

Anyway, enough rambling. Thank you for accompanying me in the ruthless world of Eva Fics and on my journey. After all, I want to make just justice to the fics that inspired me to write this thing.

As always, leave a **review** and a **favorite.**

See you guys next time, and thanks for all your support.


	11. Tidal Wave Pt 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Neon Genesis Evangelion or The Rebuild of Evangelion.**

* * *

 **NEON GENESIS**

 **EVANGELION: SUBSTANCE**

 **Episode 11:**

" **Tidal Wave Pt 1"**

* * *

" **Rei?", a deep voice called her. There was a hint of concern on it, even in the cold and calm tone.**

Rei Ayanami quit looking outside the car's window and robotically turned her head to Commander Ikari, who was sitting right next to the girl. The man had his arms crossed, glancing at her from behind his diffuse glasses. He also had an eyebrow raised, indicating that he had tried to call her attention a number of times on the last seconds.

"I am sorry, Commander", she spoke in a soft voice. Positioning her legs towards the man, she gave the Commander full attention: she didn't wanted to make the same mistake again.. "I was distracted."

Gendo Ikari kept the sideways glance at her for a few seconds, before intertwining his finger and placing his hands on his lap.

"I see", he responded in the same tone as before. "I asked you about your health. There were no complications after we removed the bandages, correct?", he questioned, not looking at the girl.

His gaze was pointed forward, towards the driver's seat right in front of him: a dark haired man in a equally dark suit, driving the car in complete silence. An usual behaviour for Section 2's agents, Rei thought.

Beside him, Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki sat at the passenger's seat, holding something resembling a book and writing on it with a simple pencil. She had questioned the older man about the nature of the object: apparently, it was called a 'crossword'.

"There were none, Commander. My injuries seem to be completely healed", she explained to the man next to her. "Dr. Akagi realized a physical exam on me after the Neural Scan. I am able to pilot once again."

"Good", Gendo simply said.

"Are you sure of this, Ikari?", Fuyutsuki asked from the seat in front, still looking at his crosswords book. "We don't even know what caused the accident in the first place. We should look further into it."

"We have no time to spare, Professor. If Rei is in condition to pilot, we must prepare Unit-00 at once and continue conducting synch tests", Gendo declared, adjusting his glasses.

"Even after the Fourth's incident?", the Professor inquired. "At least, this is confirmation that the problem doesn't necessarily lies on the pilot, but on Unit-00 itself."

"This is only an assumption. Unit-00 might be problematic, but the nature of the Evangelion and its chosen pilots makes it hard to work with. It might've rejected the Fourth Child completely."

"As it did with Rei?", the older man turned his head back to face Ikari, frowning. The girl on the back seat leaned her head slightly in confusion: why was the Sub-Commander worried about her? If something happened, she could be replaced.

Rei always found the interactions between the two man strange, mainly because the Professor was probably the only person who openly disagreed with the Commander's orders without consequences. She figured it was because of his rank: he was second-in-command at NERV, after all.

But once in a while, she could see a different kind of interaction between the two, something that didn't make much sense to her: Fuyutsuki would disagree with the Commander, prompting a discussion which in her experience should cause, at least, some hostility between two persons. The Commander was the leader of NERV, after all, and his decision was final.

Instead, the Commander would smile. A small smile, almost hidden. But a smile nonetheless.

She didn't understood his reaction. Smiling was something almost alien to her, but she knew that it was a reaction to something that pleased a person. Disagreement pleased the Commander? That didn't make any sense.

"Nonsense. Rei has performed synch tests for months, without a hint of malfunction. This accident is only an isolated case, one that will not repeat itself. She will pilot it", the Commander responded.

Fuyutsuki hummed, returning his head to the previous position. "You shouldn't be so careless, Ikari. The safety of the pilots is essential, whether you like it or not."

There it was again: a soft smirk on the Commander's face.

She stared at the broad-shouldered man, still confused by it. She had seen people smile before, mostly NERV personnel in the corridors. They strangely would stop doing it once she passed, something that she also didn't understood. Did she cause a negative reaction on people?

The Commander often smile at her, so maybe the issue was something else. She liked when the Commander smiled at her. No one else did.

No one else?

"Do you find it agreeable, Rei?", Commander Ikari questioned her, glancing at the girl and interrupting her thoughts.

She blinked for a seconds, before nodding robotically. "Yes, I see no problem in it. If i'm capable of piloting, then i will."

Gendo nodded back. "Good", he simply said. Fuyutsuki hummed again.

This pleased Rei. The Commander had raised her to fulfill whatever tasks she was ordered to, mainly to pilot Unit-00. She always had obeyed them, for they gave her purpose, something to strive for. If she didn't, what use would she have?

The Commander was satisfied. Soon, she would return to piloting, resuming her duty to serve NERV and Commander Ikari. She was born to pilot Unit-00. She was born to fulfill the Commander's wishes. To do so made her happy.

…

'Happy'.

…

What does it mean to be happy?

…

'Maybe I should smile if i'm happy, but I somehow don't see that as an appropriate reaction to it', Rei thought. Was she satisfied with the trust the Commander placed on her? The man had expectations of her, and she wanted to fulfill these expectations. It was her duty, after all. Maybe if she did, the Commander would smile to her again. That was what he did when she obeyed him.

…

But Pilot Ikari had smiled to her before.

…

And so did Pilot Makinami.

…

She hadn't done anything to please them, nothing to bring that behaviour from them. The Commander smiled when she was satisfied with her.

So why did they smiled to her?

Glancing at her side, she gazed at the man's hands, covered in the white gloves he usually wore. She had rarely seen the Commander without them, but if by chance he removed it, she already knew what she would see.

* * *

 _The plug ejected, the inertia making her lower her head by force alone. Her mind was in scrambles, something stinging it like a thousand needles at the same time. She grunted and whimpered as she felt herself being thrown away from the EVA._

 _She heard a loud bang and almost fell from her seat. The plug must've hit the cage's walls, but the ejection jets weren't stopping. She could feel the plug shaking and wobbling out of control, but she paid no mind to it: she held her head with her hands, trying to get a hold of herself._

 _It hurt. She felt her body going numb._

 _She didn't even notice her body floating upwards as the plug fell to the ground. The strange lack of gravity felt pleasing, for a second._

 _She heard another loud bang, and the impact made her hit her head in the seat behind. She felt the pain stinging and passing through her body, a filet of blood coming down from the injury._

 _Silence resumed, except for the faint voices on the comm. She could hear Dr. Akagi shouting orders to Lieutenant Ibuki, something that she couldn't understand. It was too far for her to make anything of it._

 _But just thinking of Dr. Akagi sent a jolt of electricity on her body. Rei had felt Unit-00 angrily punch the window from where the Commander and the Doctor watched the synch test. It wanted to kill, to maim, to destroy._

 _It hated that person. It was its enemy._

 _But who was that person?_

 _Her thoughts were interrupted by a faint sound from outside the plug. She heard footsteps and someone shouting something that closely remembered her name._

 _Her name? What was her name? She hadn't the strength to remember it._

 _With a hiss, the plug's door opened._

" _Rei!", the voice called._

 _Turning her head, she could see the figure of a person against the blinding light from outside the plug. Who was it?_

" _Are you alright?", the person asked._

 _Rei whimpered for a second, before slowly nodding. Her eyes got used to the light, so now she could see who the person was._

 _Commander Ikari had saved her. He had come all the way down to personally open the plug and help her out. She felt glad. She was thankful._

 _Should she smile? She didn't knew._

 _Gazing downwards, she saw that the man was leaning on the plug's door, holding his own arm, which was twitching. Why was that?_

 _His palms were hurt. She could see the flesh and skin melting from the burns that had recently happened. The only thing that could've caused that was if the Commander had opened the plug's door barehanded. He had hurt himself for her behalf._

 _Staring at his hands, she saw the small drops of blood falling on the residue LCL that was at the bottom of the plug. The red liquid lost itself on the orange one, mixing with it. On the ground outside the plug, the Commander's glasses twitched and broke from the high temperature._

 _Rei wondered once again: should she smile?_

* * *

Rei stared at her own hands. The soft white skin was in perfect conditions, not one scratch on them. If she helped someone that was dear to her, would they become scarred too? Would it be worthy?

"Sir, we're approaching the research site", the Section 2 agent informed.

Outside the car's window, they could see the outskirts of Tokyo-3: the hills and forests almost seeming calm and quiet. But looking ahead, a large portion of it had been smashed by a gigantic being, causing a lot of natural damage. Besides the destruction, many large tents were scattered for the purpose of studying the body of the Fourth Angel.

Even with that, Pilot Ikari had managed to destroy the Angel with minimal casualties. Rei had found that pleasant, even if the pilot had disrespected direct orders.

"Research site or mausoleum?", Fuyutsuki inquired, still writing on his crossword book. "I don't think there's enough of the Angel left for any significant discovery."

"We work with what we have. Dr. Akagi reported that the core was severely damaged, but most of the Angel's body is still intact", Gendo responded, crossing his arms.

"We have your son to thank for that", the older man said.

"He disrespected orders and risked Unit-01. There is no praise in that", Gendo retorted in a cold tone.

"Are you going to scold him, then?"

"That is Captain Katsuragi's job, Professor. I have no time for a child's tantrum", Gendo simply said, wanting the conversation to be over.

Fuyutsuki kept silent, watching the research site approaching slowly.

Rei looked at her own hands, her thoughts drifting. Pilot Ikari had only done his job, and had successfully destroyed the enemy. Even with that, he had been reprimanded by the Commander's orders.

Rei questioned herself for a second, wondering what was more important: to destroy the enemy or to follow orders?

"Rei, do you have class today?", the Commander asked her, once again interrupting her thoughts.

"Yes, Commander. I will be going by afternoon", she responded in a monotonous tone.

The man simply nodded, but Fuyutsuki turned his head, looking at her. He held his crossword book up for her to see.

"Education is important, Rei. That said, can you tell me the seven letter word for 'cycle of death and rebirth'?", he questioned, expectantly.

The Commander huffed, turning to look at the window once more. The Professor's hobbies were none of his concern, but they could get annoying at times.

Rei blinked for a second before answering.

"Samsara, Sub-Commander."

The Professor smiled, before writing it down.

"Thank you, Rei."

* * *

"Shinji? You up already?", Misato questioned in a sleepy tone, while scratching her head and yawning.

The boy looked back from the kitchen where he prepared breakfast, something that made Misato's stomach growl in joy.

"Oh, good morning, Misato", he answered, smiling. "I'm doing some eggs and rice, just wait a moment."

The woman sat at the table, supporting her hand on her hand and grinning at Shinji. "You are my personal hero, Shin-chan."

Shinji snorted while stewing the rice. They already had a good color and size, so they were almost ready. "Thank you, Misato. It no problem."

"Hmm, so modest", she mocked, scratching her cheek. "Where did you learn to cook, anyway?"

Shinji removed the rice from the stove, concentrating on the eggs. "Uncle Akira taught me when I was little. Guess i took a liking for it", he answered, smiling.

Misato raised a brow. "He didn't cook for you?"

Shinji wondered if two eggs would be enough. He glanced at Misato and saw her miserable morning appearance. Three eggs, then.

"Well, he did, but sometimes he would leave for work, so I had to take care of myself", he responded, adding the third egg.

"Take care of yourself, huh…?", Misato mumbled, looking at the boy working.

Even if Misato Katsuragi enjoyed the comforts that Shinji brought to her house (between cooking and cleaning) she also felt a pang on conscience seeing the boy do all that working without even being asked to. Was she being harsh on the boy?

Maybe not, but she _had_ been harsh on him. The day after the Angel attack, on the hospital room. She had laid down on him all the responsibilities he was supposed to have. He was a pilot, after all. He had to follow orders.

The fact that he was only a fourteen year old boy dawned on her after that. They had brought him to fight creatures that not even NERV understood and at the same time demanded discipline from him, to follow orders without questioning.

Maybe it was too heavy of a burden for him. She had expected him to snap under the pressure, to even run away. She had been mad at him for not following her orders, and had acted accordingly: scolding the boy, talking to him as if he was some soldier that had been caught slacking off.

She hadn't considered that what he was doing for them was more than they could ever ask him for.

She didn't think she was wrong: he had to get some self-control, or else he would be killed. She prayed that he could see that: she worried about him, and wanted him to emerge victorious from every fight. If they could manage to find some balance, things would go good.

And while she expected him to be bitter about her reprimand, she found that the boy had carried on normally. He wasn't resentful at her for putting him inside an EVA and complaining about it later, something that even her would be pissed at if she was fourteen again.

So maybe he understood.

"You're very mature for your age", she told Shinji.

He turned his head at her again, looking confused. "Huh? What do you mean?", he asked.

Misato rubbed her arm, sighing. "Well, i mean… you seem like you can do good on your own, that's all."

It wasn't what she really meant, but she didn't wanted to mention it.

Shinji gazed at her for a few seconds, before smiling softly. "Well, yeah", turning back to finish the eggs. "But honestly, I prefer to live with someone else. I don't… like being alone that much."

Misato stared at his back, watching the boy finish his cooking. He put the rice on two pots and the oggs on a large plate. He held them in his hands, but didn't place them in the table: he kept immobile for a second.

"Misato… thank you", he simply said.

The woman didn't understood what he meant. "For what?"

"For taking me in with you", he explained, turning to her and smiling. He approached the table, placing the food on it. "You're a good person."

Misato's eyebrows perked up in surprise. She gazed at his serene expression, a genuine smile on his face. She smiled back.

"Don't worry Shinji. You're home now", she said.

Shinji scratched his head, laughing softly while Misato started to eat. "Well, I had a home already, but I can make room for two", he said.

Misato laughed as well. "Thank you, Shinji. It means a lot", she said, ruffling his hair. "Well, gotta say: this is delicious. This uncle of yours was a good teacher."

Shinji grinned.

"The best."

* * *

"I could've gone to school by train, Misato", Shinji told them woman, who was driving her blue Renault Alpine with a surprising amount of respect for the law.

Misato waved her hand in dismissal while stopping on the red traffic light. _Imagine that._

"Relax, Shinji. Work only starts on the afternoon, so I got some free time", she explained, turning to him. "So… got any friends there already?"

Shinji looked away for a few seconds. He hadn't told Misato about the incident with Toji, and decided that it was for the best.

He had returned to school a couple of days ago, being greeted by the jock and his glass-wearing friend. When he saw Toji, the two had shared a understanding smile, while the other one (Kensuke Aida) had started to bombard him with EVA related questions.

Maybe Toji had told him that they had resolved their differences, so he took the opportunity to interrogate Shinji. Even with that slight annoyance, Kensuke was a good guy.

So it dawned on Shinji that he had friends. Two friends, to be exact. They hanged out on intervals, slacked of in class while the Class Representative wasn't looking (well, mostly Toji and Kensuke: Shinji still wanted to stay out of trouble) and talked about normal stuff.

Mainly girls. They wanted to know how someone like Shinji had got the attention of a 'hot babe' like Aiko Chihiro. Shinji's responde was usually a groan.

"Well, i do. Remember those guys who entered the plug?", Shinji asked Misato, smirking.

The woman turned to him with a look of incredulity on her face. "Really? Those two?", she asked loudly. "Never knew you enjoyed the company of troublemaker!"

"Misato, the light", Shinji said, pointing forward.

Misato followed the direction Shinji pointed at, only to find the traffic light green and many angry drivers honking behind her.

"Oh! Right, right…", she said embarrassed, switching the gear and accelerating. "Anyway, at least you got some people to hang out with. Maybe you should bring them home sometime, do a little party or something."

"Well… sometime, maybe", he answered, scratching his head. He had never brought friends home. Well, first time for everything.

"Besides…", Misato continued, smiling at him maliciously. "It seems that both your friends have a huge crush on me."

Shinji's eyes widened with incredulity when he looked at the woman. " _What?_ "

Misato laughed loudly. "Yes! After Ritsuko confiscated that kid's camera, I went to meet them. They were, let's say, _impressed_ ", she explained, the joy on her voice clear.

Shinji groaned. "Oh, great. Another thing for them to pester me with", he lamented.

"Shinji, Shinji, such a serious guy", she mocked, leaning on him with a sleazy look. "Even you must be impressed with my features, admit it!"

Shinji held his breath as Misato leaned on him, chest first. Looking away, he declared, proud:

"Nope. Not falling for this."

"Hmm, maybe living with me has made you immune to my charms, if that's even possible", she mocked disappointment.

Shinji huffed, but smirked right after. He would be lying if he said that he didn't found Misato's flaudering amusing. Even with all the embarrassment involved.

Looking outside the car's window, he saw that he was approaching school: the building, standing on a hill, could be seen from a great distance. Being the only school left in Tokyo-3 made it easily recognizable. An horde of students were walking on the sideway, most of them yawning and looking gloomy from the prospect of another day of class.

But between the mass of people, he recognized two boys: one dressed in a tracksuit and another with a white shirt and wearing glasses. The one with the jacked was hitting the other one's arm, something that made Shinji snicker.

"Hey Misato, you can drop me here", he told the woman, pointing at his two friends.

To Shinji's dismay, Misato grinned slyly upon seeing them. She parked the car just ahead of the pair, startling them.

Shinji left the car, waving at them. "Hey guys."

They waved back, smiling. "Yo Chief", Toji greeted.

Now, Shinji wanted to close the car's door immediately and be done with it, but unfortunately, Misato opened her own and stepped out of the car, waving at the pair. "Hey boys!"

Seeing the NERV's Captain in company of Shinji made them freeze on track. They looked at Shinji, then at Misato, then at Shinji again.

"Wha...why is she...?", Kensuke started, both him and Toji confused by the two being together and at the same time overflowing with joy for seeing the Misato babe once again.

"Shin-chan lives with me!", she explained happily, using the 'chan' suffix to add a layer of embarrassment for the boy. "He's such a good kid. I couldn't help myself when he came to Tokyo-3, so I invited him to stay at my place", continued, grinning at Shinji.

He facepalmed, groaning.

They stared at Shinji with a look that could pierce a wall. The boy kept his face hidden.

"Well, nice to see you both again, but I gotta go", Misato said, waving again. Then, she turned to Shinji and gave him a sly teasing smile. "Oh, and Shin-chan: please control yourself with that Aiko girl. You're a NERV Pilot! It would be a shame if you got someone pregnant, eh?"

Shinji winced, regretting having told Misato about Aiko. What did he expect?

After that, she quickly entered her car and started it, laughing maniacally. As she got away, Toji and Kensuke stood there, staring at Shinji, who wanted to be anywhere else in the world.

Toji slowly pointed a finger at him, at a loss for words. "You… you…"

Kensuke was faster.

"YOU SEXUAL MANIAC!"

* * *

Hikari Horaki strode through the school's hallways, rubbing her eyes and yawning. It was hard to be Class Representative, a duty that required her to arrive at school earlier than most students. Her duties were many, but she did them with almost professional diligence.

She had always been one of the most disciplined students of her class, a characteristic that helped her in attaining the position of Class Representative. Such characteristic was born at home: her father was usually out to work, so she had to take care of domestic tasks, like cleaning, helping Nozomi get on her uniform, cooking dinner for Kodama when she got home, among many others.

So, to say the least, her schedule was tight. Fortunately, her morning duties were over, so she walked towards Class 2-A humming to herself.

To herself, mind you. A Class Representative wasn't supposed to behave so casually.

As such, she had took her duty seriously when she discovered Kensuke and Toji's little ' _escapade'_. She had assigned cleaning duty for both, while thanking Shinji for defeating the monster that had invaded the city. He was a nice guy, certainly humble, which pleased Hikari: she didn't like boasting.

As for the other two… well, she didn't mind seeing Suzuhara a bit more than normally, if only to see if he had done his job properly.

Hikari blushed slightly, trying to shake those thoughts away. That was no time to think about this kind of...

"Hey, you there", a feminine voice called her from behind.

Being the attentive student that she was, she turned smiling lightly to see who had called her, but was surprised to see a girl who she had never seen. Or maybe her memory wasn't good as it used to be, as the girl was wearing the same uniform as the rest of the school's girls.

"Uh… can I help you?"

"Yeah, please. Can you tell me where Class 2-A is?", the girl asked, a cat-like grin on her face.

* * *

After a great deal of shouting and yelling, Shinji found his way to Class 2-A. Entering it, he was greeted with the usual sight: almost all students turning to look at him, some waving and calling his name (mostly girls). He waved back with a shy smile.

At that, Toji and Kensuke pushed him forwards, cursing him for his allegedly 'casanova' skills.

The three boys sat down, sighing in defeat: another day of boring lectures. Toji crossed his arms and put his legs up the desk, frowning.

"Seriously, man, i think I should've punched ya harder", he groaned.

"I don't think that's wise, Toji", Kensuke mused while removing his camera from his pack. Apparently, he had already bought another one. "Imagine if you damaged our _'Shin-chan'_ cute little face: all the chicks around here would group and beat you up", he said, saying 'Shin-chan' with the maximum amount of mockery he could muster.

Shinji sighed. "Guys, is not like that, really", he tried to explain.

"Oh really?", Toji said sarcastically, before pointing to something behind Shinji. "Then explain _that_."

Shinji turned back with a confused look, before understanding what he meant: walking towards him, Aiko Chihiro gave him her most disarming smile, with two other girls following her from some distance. He could swear she was swaying her hips, too. He gulped and smiled at her.

"Uh...good morning, Chihiro-san", he greeted, friendly.

"Good morning, Shinji-kun. And it's just Aiko, please", she said, putting her hands on her back. She scanned the area with her eyes, and finding only Shinji's friends there (which she didn't bother to learn the names) she directed her attention back to Shinji.

He coughed on his own hand at his mistake.

"Yes, of course, Aiko", he responded, before raising a brow. "You…i mean, you weren't here the last couple of days. Something happened?"

As for why Shinji had noticed her absence, the reason was the strong first impression Aiko had given him upon their first talk. He wouldn't say that, of course: just talking to her was embarrassing enough.

He would deny it to Toji and Kensuke, but talking to her gave him a strange feeling, almost like a thrill. Probably because he had never had such a beautiful girl talking to him so casually, as opposed to the previous ones he had some conversation with: all about school stuff or something like that.

Aika pouted with a sigh and twirled a finger on her hair. "Well, my grandparents were moving out of the city, so me and dad were out helping. We even missed the monster's invasion!"

Shinji found it strange how the girl seemed disappointed that she wasn't in the city when the Angel attacked. He didn't had time to reflect on it, tough, as the girl began to lean on him with expectant eyes.

"But I heard about your fight! You're sooo brave, Shinji! Tell me about it!", she said with amusement on her voice, a smile on her face.

Shinji gulped and raised his hands. "Uh… I mean, it was nothing…"

Kensuke and Toji groaned quietly.

From Aiko's sides, the two girls that followed her popped up after hearing their topic of conversation.

"Tell us Shinji! Was it scary?", one asked.

"How did you defeated it?", the other as well.

Aiko was clearly bothered by her retinue intrusions, but continued to smile, expecting an answer.

Shinji tried his best to explain it in a way that wouldn't make Misato set his clothes on fire.

"Uh, well, they have this knife thing that…", he started to mumble, but fortunately was saved by an unexpected party.

"We saw it too, you know?", Kensuke intervened, trying to sound high and mighty at his testimony of the Angel battle. "Me and Toji were there, we even entered the plug!"

Shinji resisted the urge to tell Kensuke to ' _shut up'_ , while Toji just looked at Kensuke with wide eyes, confuse by being dragged into the conversation.

Aiko, along with her two lackeys, glared at Kensuke with a look of disbelief.

"Really?", she questioned, not believing a word of it. "Do you have proof?"

Kensuke snickered. "Well, I…", he began to say as he picked up the camera. Suddenly, realization dawned on him: he didn't had the recordings anymore.

"Uh, listen…", he started, trying to defuse the situation in a way that wouldn't taint his reputation even more than it already was.

Fortunately, Hikari Horaki entered the room, apparently furious by the ruckus and lack of respect from the class.

"Everyone to their seats! Class is starting!", she yelled.

With a groan, everyone got to their seats, including Aiko who, before leaving, winked at Shinji. The boy gulped and turned beet red.

"Shit, that was close", Kensuke sighed in relief. Toji slapped him in the forehead, which earned and ' _ouch_ ' from Kensuke.

The elderly teacher entered the room, greeting the class and clearing his throat.

"Settle down, children", he said in his usual tired voice, somewhat appropriate for his decrepit appearance. "We have an announcement today."

The students started to look at each other, some in confusion, other in fear. 'Shit, not another surprise test', groaned one on the back of the class. Hikari hissed and glared at him, prompting the boy to stay quiet.

The teacher cleared his throat again, pointing towards the door.

"We have a new student joining our class today", he explained, looking at the door. "Come in, young lady."

Shinji raised an eyebrow, curious about the new student. He himself had only recently arrived, only now getting used to the school routine. Having Toji and Kensuke as colleagues helped, of course, but having another newcomer could be nice: someone new like him, that wasn't used to the place.

That said, Shinji's jaw dropped as soon as he laid eyes upon the newcomer. Toji and Kensuke's reactions were somewhat different: while their jaws had also dropped, it was for a different reason.

In their case, they were in awe by the arrival of, quote, a _really hot chick_ in their class. Kensuke adjusted his glasses so he could see better, and simply Toji stared eye wided at the girl.

Hikari, a few chair beside him, didn't like that look. She didn't knew exactly why.

To be honest, they weren't alone in it. Almost every male has the same reaction, whispering amongst themselves and checking her out without mercy. The girl visibly had assets that weren't very common on fourteen year old girls, to say the least.

Said girls were analyzing the new student intently: some with innocent delight at her evident friendly nature. Other, with squinted eyes, pierced her with a glare that could melt steel.

As for Shinji, he was simply confused.

Wearing a pair of glasses and with her brown hair tied in a bun (with a few bangs on both sides of her face), the girl grinned brightly and waving her hand.

"Nice to meet you all. Name's Mari Makinami Illustrious. Just call me Mari, okay?", she announced with a loud and happy voice.

The teacher put his hands on his back, turning to Mari.

"You may sit anywhere, Miss Makinami. Welcome to our class", he said, nodding, before returning behind his desk. Class was about to begin.

Passing through the chairs, the girl looked around for a desk to sit. The whole class was still staring at her, something that amused her to no end.

But when she saw Shinji Ikari staring at her with wide eyes, she opened a wide smile and rushed to him.

The girl had full notion of which class the Third was attending, so of course, that was the class she wanted to be assigned to. It was an easy task: apparently, the class had lost a lot of students after the Angels started to appear. They needed to fill in, after all.

"Puppy-boy! Fancy seeing you here!", she said loudly, smiling mischievously.

The whole class drifted their looks from the girl and landed on Shinji Ikari. The boy groaned and put his hand on his face, embarrassed.

"Uh… hey, Mari", he managed to greet.

As Mari sat on the empty chair right in front of him, humming happily, Toji and Kensuke tried to come up with ways of getting away with murder.

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** You guys think this fic is too slow? Well, get used to it.

You guys also think that I have a Writer's Block and can't seem to progress the story? Also wrong: Writer's Block comes at the end, when i have to come up with endgame material.

Just kidding, of course. At least on the writer's block part.

The thing is: this fic is kind of a journey to me. I want to write a lot of stuff, and I usually enjoy fics with a lot of downtime, to develop the setting properly. I loathe fics that are only CLIMAX, ACTION, CLIMAX. What's the point of the climax if there's no setting to it?

Anyway, here we have a few funny moments, something common on the early chapters of the series (something i enjoy). The story won't be just fun and games, obviously. Lots of plans.

Oh, i also made a reference to another Eva fanfic on the end of Rei's part. Search for it, it's really good.

Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed it. If you did, leave a **favorite** and a **review,** in case you have any criticism. Hell, even if you just wanna shit on this story, it's okay.

See you guys next time.


	12. Tidal Wave Pt 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Neon Genesis Evangelion or The Rebuild of Evangelion.**

* * *

 **NEON GENESIS**

 **EVANGELION: SUBSTANCE**

 **Episode 12:**

" **Tidal Wave Pt. 2"**

* * *

" **Rits! Hold that thing!", Misato yelled while running at top speed. Some of the files she held beneath her arm were blown away, but the Captain didn't seem to care.**

Dr. Ritsuko Akagi sighed as her old friend jumped inside the lift at the last second, making the transport shake with her weight.

"I can't ' _stop_ ' it. It's not an elevator", she tried to tell Misato while the woman caught her breath after what seemed like a marathon.

Years ago, Ritsuko had found the installation of personal lifts inside NERV HQ curious. Most of the personnel owned cars or used the monorails to move around the Geofront, so the rather crude transport mode was, let's say, out of place.

She blamed the lack of funding.

Nevertheless, it was quite useful for small trips around the pyramid-like structure that was NERV HQ, and since the doctor rarely left the her workspace, she didn't had to use it that much.

Which made Ritsuko question herself why Misato was using them, since the Captain was the proud owner of a expensive/vintage car, a car Misato liked to brag about on NERV's corridors.

"Yeah…right…", Misato tried to say, her hand on her chest as she struggled to breath properly. "Thanks anyway."

"No problem", Ritsuko responded as the lift started to shake and make its way down the dimly lit tunnel. If Misato hadn't been there, Ritsuko considered taking a nap on the way: after analyzing the Angel's body, she quickly went home to feed her cats before returning to work immediately. No time for sleep. "Something happened to your car?"

Misato hugged her folder, steadying her breath slowly with closed eyes. When she was finished, she glanced at Ritsuko, smiling.

"Nah, just forgot my Parking Card at home. Had to leave it outside", she explained, earning a frown from Ritsuko. "That idiot sees me everyday, i'd figure he let it slide this time."

"Just security protocols, Misato", Ritsuko responded with slight reprimand. "If your memory is failing with age, it's not our fault."

Misato groaned. "Yeah, right. We're on the same boat, Rits", she retorted playfully. "So… got anything good from the Angel?"

Ritsuko placed her elbow on the armrest and crossed her legs for comfort. "Nothing revolutionary. The core was mostly useless, but that's to be expected", she said. "As for the body per se, we got some good data on it, especially on the tissue we managed to analyze. The Angels can be a mystery, but no mystery is impossible to solve."

"Hmm, that means you haven't found anything?", Misato asked with a brow raised. Ritsuko was a master when it came to explain things without explaining anything.

"Humpf, of course we did", she retorted, mildly insulted. She wasn't angry, as Misato tended to say such things ever since they met, but any scientist would feel insulted when someone doubted their skills. "Have a look."

Ritsuko opened her neatly organized folder and handed a particular file to Misato. The Captain stared at it for a few seconds, trying to decipher its contents. Not everybody was a genius like Ritsuko.

"Uh, i'm kinda lost here, Rits", she admitted, glancing at the doctor.

The faux-blonde sighed and pointed at a few wave-analysis data written on the paper. "Look: here we have the human DNA wave pattern, as you would already know if you didn't spent that week humping with…"

"Yeah, yeah, go on", Misato waved her hand dismissively, not wanting to bring up that subject.

Ritsuko cleared her throat.

"...anyway, I compared it with the data we got from the Angel's tissue. Notice something odd?", she asked, staring at Misato.

The woman gazed upon the file, her eyes darting from the Angel's to the human's pattern repeatedly. They looked… similar.

"Ritsuko… are you implying that…?", she started, with wide eyes and a look of disbelief.

"I'm not implying anything", the doctor cut her off. "The fact is that, besides a few differences on tissue and matter, human and Angel DNA composition are a 99,89% match."

Misato kept silent for almost half a minute, trying to wrap her mind around it. If Ritsuko was correct, that meant that the most dangerous threat humanity had ever faced was…

A pang of nausea ran through her body, making Misato put a hand on her head. "I… i'm just not sure what that means", she said, sighing.

Ritsuko stared at her friend with a pitiful look. She knew about Misato's… _thoughts_ on the Angels. She had heard the story a long time ago from Misato herself. She wasn't sure if the results from her research were going to affect the Captain, but there was no reason to keep her from it.

"Misato, as of now, that doesn't mean anything. Life evolves in many ways, we are only trying to discover the 'how's' and 'why's'. Don't get upset about it", Ritsuko said, trying to comfort her friend. She was never good at it.

Misato sighed, returning the file to the doctor. Why was she upset? She didn't had full grasp of what NERV knew about the Angels, so she relied on whatever Ritsuko shared with her.

So the Angels had similar composition to humans, maybe even evolved from the same source. So what? That didn't change the fact that they were the enemies, things to destroy and contain for the safety of humanity. If she didn't, something similar to what happened 15 years earlier would happen again. Something even worse.

Misato had vowed to destroy them all. That was a vow she was not willing to give up.

"Yeah", she said, catching her breath. "I know. Whatever they are, or where they came from, it doesn't matter."

Ritsuko nodded, and silence resumed between the two women. Misato occasionally dangled her legs, waiting for the ride to end, while Ritsuko kept analysing her files.

When the lift arrived at the station, both hopped out and started to walk towards Central Dogma, side by side. Misato had seemingly processed the information enough, as she smiled softly while walking.

"Any synch tests today?", she asked the doctor out of the blue. Apparently, she felt the need for conversation.

Ritsuko was not a fan of small talk, but she could bear it in Misato's case.

"Tomorrow. We'll try to synch Rei with Unit-00 again, and make some routine tests with Shinji", she said, before raising a brow and looking at Misato. "I assume you had that talk with him."

Misato snorted, putting her hands on her jacket's pockets. NERV could be chilly sometimes.

"Yeah, don't worry. He seemed to catch the message", she answered.

"I certainly hope so. The damage was minimum, but we can't risk Unit-01 like that again", Ritsuko declared.

Misato huffed at Ritsuko's priorities. "I was more worried about _Shinji's_ safety, Rits."

"The Pilot's safety is important, yes, but remember that the Evangelion is what we spent billions on", Ritsuko said with indifference. "I know you like the kid, but we have to be realistic."

"Yeah, _great_. We are putting kids on a building sized death machine and we don't even care about what happens to them", Misato complained, not happy about Ritsuko's dismissive attitude.

Ritsuko sighed, understanding Misato's worries, but not wanting to have that conversation right now. She changed the subject.

"How's Shinji, then?", she asked. Misato smirked lightly.

"He's doing good", she answered honestly. "Got back to school, even made some friends there."

"I see. That reminds me: did Mari sign her school papers already?", Ritsuko questioned.

"She did. Supposed to be there at this very moment", Misato explained, suspecting that Mari would skip class. "Weird kid, but seems to take care of herself good enough. Besides, its good that Shinji has another Pilot to talk to."

"Well, there's Rei", Ritsuko suggested mockingly.

"Uh, I don't know. She doesn't seem very… talkative", Misato answered, scratching her head. Ritsuko nodded in acknowledgement. "I'm sure Shinji tried to, but I just can't read what goes on Rei's head."

"Neither do I", Ritsuko lied, glancing away. "Anyway, just make sure Mari doesn't make any moves on Shinji or something. I know that type when I see one."

Misato snorted, nudging Ritsuko with her elbow. "Relax, it's good for Shinji to have someone to talk to. Besides, I heard that there's someone already eying our little Third Child", she said, a sly smile on her lips.

Ritsuko glared at Misato with her brows raised. "Really? Well, that's surprising. He didn't seemed the type."

"Well, that proves you don't know anything about men, Rits", Misato laughed. "Girls go crazy for guys like him: quiet, polite, damn good cook as well."

"I'll take your word for it", Ritsuko said, sighing.

The two women arrived at a familiar metallic door, which opened after a quick card flip. They crossed it and entered the Command Center.

Inside, they notice that both the Commander and Sub-Commander were absent, judging by the carefree nature of the trio of technicians that worked there: Shigeru Aoba wore a pair of earbuds and twirled his fingers on the air, no doubt practicing his yet unknown musical skills.

Makoto Hyuga and Maya Ibuki were both reading: the glass wearing one holding the latest manga magazine and the young short haired girl entranced by some book, no doubt a cheesy romance.

Distracted by their respective hobbies, they didn't even notice the door opening and the two high ranking woman staring at them. Ritsuko cleared her throat.

The trio raised their heads at the sound, and seeing the disapproving look Dr. Akagi was giving them, jumped out their seats and saluted.

"C-captain! Dr. Akagi…! We were just…", Hyuga started, stammering.

"Slacking off", the blonde finished, a serious look on her face. They gulped.

Misato snorted. "It's not like we have much to do as well, Rits. Let them be."

Ritsuko glared at her friend, amused. "Who's 'we', Captain? I still have a lot of work today."

"Really? So I guess you won't accept an invitation for dinner at my place, then?", Misato questioned, crossing her arms.

Ritsuko winced at the thought. Misato's cooking was infamous, to say the least.

"That's right", she said, coughing into her hand.

Misato raised her brows and pouted. "Hmm, I could ask Shinji to cook for us, if you want. He's pretty good", she told the doctor.

"Hah, another one of those qualities you were saying Shinji has?", Ritsuko asked, snorting.

"But of course!", she exclaimed, before turning to the female technician sitting close to her. "Maya, explain to our good doctor the value of a man who knows how to cook", she asked the girl, smiling mischievously.

Maya, on her end, started to blush and stammer. Unbeknownst to Misato, Maya was not an specialist on… well, both things.

"W-well, I…", she started before being cut off by Shigeru Aoba, sitting beside her.

"Nonsense, Captain. Chicks like charm and style", he said in a sure tone, smirking. Aoba's supposed success with women was known, even if questionable. "The Third seems like a good kid, he just needs a little more… advice. Maybe he can turn out as good as I was at his age!"

"Pff, yeah, right", Hyuga barged in, laughing at his colleague and friend. "I remember you trying to impress girls with your guitar _'skills'_ in high school _._ Don't remember you actually succeeding on it, though."

"D-dude, shut up!", Aoba exclaimed, frowning. "Just because you never got any action doesn't mean I didn't!"

Misato snorted. "Well, Ritsuko and Maya don't know shit about men, and you two don't know shit about women. What a merry crew we are", she mocked them, leaning on the central console close to the trio.

Aoba shrugged and smirked, confident on his own abilities. Hyuga coughed on his own hand, embarrassed: he wasn't one to contradict Captain Katsuragi. Specially Captain Katsuragi.

"Well Misato, if you're done preaching your B.S., I got work to do", Ritsuko declared, sitting in a chair besides Maya. The girl stiffened slightly.

"Oh, come on Rits! Don't be such a workaholic!", Misato said, exasperated. "We haven't eaten together in ages, it will be fun!"

Ritsuko rubbed her temples, tired of Misato's insistence. "I'm serious, I still have to store the Angel's report and run the MAGI on it. And trust me: someone needs to oversee the process, or else…"

"Uh, Dr. Akagi?", Maya barged in, raising her hand with an innocent expression on her face. "I… I can do that for you, if you want."

Ritsuko turned to her protégé with wide eyes, surprised by her sudden voluntary attitude.

"Maya, thank you, but I need to oversee it personally, I...", she started, before Misato rushed in and hugged Ritsuko from behind.

"Yes! Thank you, Maya-chan!", she exclaimed happily. "Come on, Rits! Beer is on the house!"

"Of course it is, you're the only one who will be drinking it", Ritsuko groaned.

The doctor sighed and gazed at Maya, who was looking at her with a soft smile. Well, the young girl was the only one around who was capable of dealing with the MAGI, being her personal student. Besides, that was a good opportunity to test the girl's skills, which were almost at her own level.

Sighing, she nodded. "Okay, fine", she said, as Misato jumped with joy.

"Yes! I'll let Shinji know", she said, grabbing her phone from her pocket.

Meanwhile, Ritsuko turned to the young girl and smiled softly. "Thank you, Maya. Just be careful: the MAGI can take care of itself, but a human hand is essential. Any problem happens, let me know. Just remember we have synch testes tomorrow."

Maya blushed at the trust Dr. Akagi put on her. "Y-yes, Dr. Akagi. I won't let you down!", she said, smiling.

"Hey, what about us?", Aoba turned to Misato, mocking a hurt expression. "No invitation for your loyal crew?"

Misato snorted. "Yeah, not this time. I'm sure you guys don't want to see how small my apartment is", she explained.

When Misato turned away, Aoba nudged Hyuga with his elbow, implying that the glass-wearing technician would very much like to see how small Misato's place was. Hyuga blushed furiously.

"Well, that's a shame", Aoba declared, sighing. "Oh, and Dr. Akagi? Take pictures, please."

Ritsuko and Misato ignored the comment, but Maya Ibuki punched Aoba's shoulder with all her strength, making the long-haired man whimper in pain.

* * *

Thinking back on the matter, Shinji realized that Mari's presence at school was not _that_ surprising: she was the same age as him, after all, meaning that the girl also attended school. He had no problem with it, of course: she seemed nice enough, even with the weird nickname she had given him and her obnoxious behaviour.

That said, he didn't expect the girl to be assigned to the same class as him and, to top it all, sit right in front on the boy. Her arrival had been met with awe (by many boys) and distaste (by some girls), though it was unintentional from her part: her foreign appearance caused quite the stir on class, with people whispering here and there, some wanting to know more about the new 'hot' student. It seemed that any new arrivals on Tokyo-3's school were subject of much discussion, Shinji mused.

Mari, on her end, seemed to ignore the looks the whole class were giving her, simply sitting on her desk humming casually.

After the initial shock caused by Shinji and Mari's apparent acquaintance, the class started to brew other theories about the girl. Among them, they suspected that she was another Evangelion pilot, a theory strong enough to make someone send a message to her personal laptop, similar to what had happened to Shinji.

Mari heard a beep on her computer, perking up and widening her eyes.

' _Are you a pilot too?'_ , the message asked.

Mari grinned, turning to Shinji behind her. "So they already know you're a pilot, puppy-boy? Geez, how careless", she said, mockingly clicking her tongue in disapproval.

Shinji scratched his head, embarrassed. "Well, I didn't knew what to do, so I was honest", he explained. At the time, he judged that telling the truth was the best idea. He didn't knew the gravity of the consequences.

Mari snorted at his explanation. "Heh, don't worry. People would find out eventually", she said, before turning back to her screen, a sly smile on her face. "Now, let's see what I can do…"

After some quick typing, she hit 'enter' and the message was sent. A few rows behind them, a group of boys read the message:

' _Maybe. But if I was, I would ask NERV's security to do something about people snooping on the pilot's classified information, right? Maybe some of you won't be coming back to school tomorrow, nyah (*ΦωΦ*)'_

Mari heard a laptop being closed quickly and some students on the back adjusting themselves on their seats, looking straight ahead and sweating profusely. She snorted and put a hand in front of her mouth, suppressing a laugh.

Shinji felt someone poking his shoulder, turning around to see Toji and Kensuke leaning on him rather closely, frowning.

"Dude, you know her?", Toji asked, whispering intensely.

Shinji glanced at the back of Mari's head in front of him, before turning to his friends. "Well… yeah. She's a pilot too. Just don't go spreading that around", he explained.

" _What?"_ , Kensuke almost yelled, immediately earning a 'shhh' from Hikari, a few chairs ahead. He cowered behind Toji and lowered his tone. "Are you serious? We saw another robot on that fight, you mean that _she_ _was piloting it?_ "

"Listen, I can't talk about it", Shinji said, sighing. "Just ask her, if you want."

"Ask what?", a voice came from behind Shinji.

Turning back, the boy saw a smiling Mari leaning on him even closer than his friends, startling the trio with her sudden appearance.

"Uh, I…", Shinji stammered, before pointing at his friends. "They were asking some stuff about you."

Mari directed her look towards the two boys behind Shinji: she wasn't very impressed. The tall one seemed like a regular jock, wearing a blue jacket and a frown on his face. The other one was clearly some geek, looking flustered as the girl leaned towards them. His glasses prescription seemed to be a few degrees higher than hers, which denounced his stereotypical nature as a 'nerd'.

But, if they were puppy's friends, that meant they were good people. She extended her hand.

"Name's Mari, in case you didn't get it", she told them, smirking. "And yes, I'm a pilot. As our good puppy-boy here already told you, don't go spreading that around."

Both gulped, before returning the handshake. Kensuke cleared his throat and leaned forth, adjusting his glasses.

"Uh, so… was it you piloting that other EVA when the battle happened?", he asked meekly.

Mari smirked, crossing her arms. "Yep, that was me. But actually, that's not my EVA, it's…", she started to explain, before stopping and looking around searching for a particular person.

She didn't, and turned to Shinji with a brow raised. "Puppy, where's Rei?", she asked.

"Hm?", Shinji mouthed, looking around for any sign of the blue-haired girl. "... I don't know. Didn't see her today."

Mari hummed, scratching her cheek. "Shame. Wanted to talk to her", she said, blowing her lips. She turned back to Kensuke and Toji. "Anyway, for now, I'm just a provisional pilot. I have the same authority as the rest of the pilots, though, so if any of you want some ass-beating, a phone call will do the trick", she said, grinning.

The boys gulped again.

Shinji snorted. "She's just kidding, don't worry."

"Don't spoil my fun, puppy-boy", she said, mocking a pout.

After saying that, she closed her eyes, sniffed the air and perked up involuntarily. She leaned on Shinji, taking in the smell impregnated on him, and smiled.

Shinji, Toji and Kensuke froze at that, their eyes wide in surprise and embarrassment.

"U-uh, Mari…", Shinji started, not knowing what to say. "...what are you doing?"

Mari opened her eyes and glanced upwards, towards Shinji's confused expression. She leaned back, an apologetic smile on her face.

"Hehe, sorry puppy", she said, waving dismissively. "LCL, you know? I just love the smell."

Shinji coughed into his hand. "Uh, yeah, okay, no problem", he said with a unstable smile. Mari snorted and returned her attention to class.

At a distance, many girls (including Aiko Chihiro) glared daggers at Mari Makinami Illustrious.

Toji and Kensuke slapped the back of Shinji's head, insulted by the freakshow presented before them, but secretly jealous. They just couldn't wrap their head around all the attention the pilot got from girls, specially a pilot who seemed to be so meek and unimpressive. Sure, he was a pilot fighting for the survival of humanity, but couldn't he share some of it? 'Even some from this Mari weirdo would be good', Kensuke thought, sighing.

When they trio returned their attention to class, Shinji couldn't help but laugh weakly and look at the back of Mari's head. She was a weird girl, that's for sure, but it felt nice to talk to someone who shared his piloting duties. Even with her odd behaviour, she seemed nice enough, if not a bit obnoxious.

Before coming to Tokyo-3, the boy couldn't say he had many friends. Sure, he had some acquaintances here and there, but no one he could call a true 'friend', as his hobbies weren't very common for a boy at his age: playing the cello, reading, taking walks around town. No one was rude or anything, but he usually kept to himself, only talking a bit with some friendly colleagues. They seemed to understand his need for space, fortunately.

But here, he felt that he enjoyed talking to Kensuke and Toji. While the geek was a bit nody sometimes, especially concerning NERV matters, he was a nice guy, and tried to share some of his interests with Shinji (mainly manga and video-games), to a moderate degree of success. As for Toji, they both knew were they standed, and after that talk in front of the grocery shop, they began to share a casual friendship, talking about school and girls more than giant robots and hurt sisters. Shinji was thankful for that.

Lastly, Mari Makinami Illustrious seemed to enjoy his company, enough to sit right in front of him. He could see how they had things in common: both being EVA pilots, she apparently knew much more than him on that subject. But strangely, she didn't seem to talk about that matter with him that much: on that, she was similar to Misato. Whenever they had talked (two or three times) she seemed to be more interested in just making conversation with him.

She was genuinely a nice person, even with her quirks. Shinji liked that.

After the conversation died, Mari returned her attention to the class around her: the elderly teacher lecturing lies about Second Impact, the class casually ignoring him, whispering and gossiping all around. Some people still gazed at her, thinking she wasn't noticing. They were wrong.

Mari smirked. So this was Code 707, huh? All the Pilot Candidates piled up in one classroom. The _'Marduk Institute',_ or whatever lies NERV told about the supposed organization that chose pilots, seemed to have an easy job: just putting them in the same room for safety.

One easily placed bomb, and all the pilots in the world would be dead. How stupid.

Of course, there was no threat of any kind: Section 2 would take care of NERV's pilots. They were too precious to be careless about.

And by 'precious', Mari thought, I mean 'investment'.

Gazing at her left side, she saw an empty seat by the window. Rei Ayanami sat there. She sighed again, disappointed: she really wanted to talk to the girl a bit more.

'I want to see what makes you tick, Blue', she thought, smirking.

* * *

The bell rang at high noon, and all students rose from their seats, ready to leave the classroom and eat an well deserved lunch.

Hikari Horaki, sensing the rudeness from the class, rose as well and yelled:

"What are you doing? Bow before leaving!", she told the class with a surprising amount of intimidation.

The class groaned and obeyed, before taking off.

"Hey, puppy-boy, where do we eat?", Mari questioned Shinji as he left the room, accompanied by Toji and Kensuke.

Surprised, Shinji scratched his head, thinking. "Well… we usually eat on the courtyard", he explained, before pointing his thumb over his shoulder. "You want to eat with us?"

Mari grinned, slapping Shinji's shoulder lightly. "Sure do. Just need to buy some food first", she said.

At that, Toji and Kensuke frowned in disgust. "Uh, I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Mari raised a brow, confused. "Why, jock-boy?", she asked.

"Well, because the… _what?_ ", he exclaimed, exasperated. "Jock-boy?"

As Mari and Shinji snickered, Kensuke barged in, trying to finish Toji's explanation: "What we mean is that the last guy who ate school lunch was… well…"

"He spent the entire day throwing his guts out on the toilet", Toji told them, still frowning at what Mari had called him.

Mari mouthed an 'oh', before putting a hand on her chin.

"Well, I'm screwed, then", she said, sighing.

Shinji thought for a second, looking at the lunch he was holding: rice and eggs. He had carefully put them inside a bento box, but had accidentally put too much. This gave him an idea.

"I can share mine with you, if you want", he told Mari, holding the box in front of him.

Mari turned to him with eyes wide in surprise. She smirked at him, nudging his side with her elbow.

"What a gentleman, puppy-boy!", she said, laughing. "I get what Misato was saying now."

Shinji snorted and blushed lightly. "Yeah… thanks."

Toji and Kensuke groaned at the delay.

"Hurry up, will ya? At this rate, someone stole our spot already", he growled, earning a snicker from Mari.

* * *

Rei Ayanami left the black car, closing the door behind her. The driver took off without a word, leaving the girl alone in front of the school.

Walking slowly and gripping her bag on her hand, she made her way through the gate and entered the building.

It was past midday, so she had only the afternoon classes to attend, including Physical Education. She enjoyed that class: it was the opportunity to swim on the large pool they had at the school. The feeling of cold water running through her body while she darted through it was one of the few experiences she treasured.

Inside the locker room, she place most of her material on one of the boxes, keeping only her swimsuit inside the bag. She closed it and left.

It had been a tiring day: accompanying the Commander at the research site took a lot of walking, so her legs were a bit sore. She remembered how both him and the Sub-Commander were entranced by the Angel's body, a creature so large that they had to build multiple tents only to cover it.

Rei was not interested in such matters. If the Commander ordered her to learn more about their enemies, she would do so.

Arriving at the courtyard, she could see many students scattered around, eating and chatting while they could: break time was almost over. As she walked along, some of them glanced at her without turning, interested in the late blue-haired girl's arrival. She ignored them: as of now, she desired only to eat her lunch and attend her classes.

As she walked, she saw something in the corner of her sight: someone waving.

"Hey, Blue!", a voice called. "Come eat with us!"

Turning sideways, Rei saw a group of people sitting by a large tree, one of the few on the school's courtyard.

As she recognized them, she slightly raised a brow, surprised by two thing: Pilot Makinami was at her school, dressed in a uniform similar to her's. She had changed her hair: instead of twin pigtails, she now wore it in a bun, with a few bangs on both sides of her face. She smiled intently at Rei, waving and indicating that she wished her to join them.

The other thing was her company: Pilot Ikari was there, as well as two boys from her class. One of them was Kensuke Aida, along with Toji Suzuhara, eating from a bento and sitting right next to Ikari.

She didn't understand: Suzuhara had hurt Ikari physically, so it was strange to see them eating together. Had they solved the matter while she was gone from school? She remembered hearing about their presence at the Fourth Angel's attack, but nothing else.

Maybe they were friends now. This satisfied Rei: it was foolish to fight over such meaningless matters. Pilot Ikari was not at fault for any accidents that had happened previously.

She hesitated for a second, before approaching the group.

"Ayanami", Shinji greeted, smiling. "Good to see you."

Rei stared at his smile for a few seconds. Why was it that he smiled when seeing her?

"Pilot Ikari, Pilot Makinami", she greeted back, nodding at the other two boys as well. They raised their hands, mouthing a 'Hey'.

"Come sit with us, Blue", Mari called her, patting the ground besides her.

Rei reflected on it for a few seconds. She had only a few minutes to eat, and figured that if she exchanged conversation with a large group, she would only be delayed.

But if she didn't, she would have to find another eating spot, and take the same amount of time doing so. She decided to sit beside Pilot Makinami, who kept smiling at her.

"So, Blue, where were you?", the glass-wearing girl asked, her full attention on Rei.

Rei opened her bendo, pulling out her share of rice and soup. "I was accompanying the Commander", she simply said.

Shinji glanced at the girl, eating his food slowly. "At the body site?", he asked, frowning slightly.

"Yes, he asked for my presence", she answered.

Shinji nodded slowly, looking away from her with a strange look on his face.

Rei slightly tilted her head sideways, confused. Was Pilot Ikari bothered by her mentioning the Commander?

Kensuke cleared his throat, leaning onwards. "So… anything interesting about the Angel, Ayanami? Can you tell us?", he asked, his eyes sparkling at the prospect of getting any information.

Rei gave the boy a deadpan stare. "No. It's classified", she told the Kensuke, who began to mope in disappointment.

"Told ya, we can't say anything about it", Mari added, snickering. "I've trained EVA Piloting for years and still don't know much about them, so there's that. Figures we would know more about our enemies."

Kensuke put a hand on his chin and began to reflect on this information, while Toji simply sighed and rose from his laid back position.

"Yeah, that reminds me: where are ya from?", he asked Mari. "You don't look japanese."

Shinji lifted his head from his food, perking up. "I'm curious too", he told the girl.

Mari snorted and crossed her legs, looking upwards and scratching her chin.

"Weeell, I'm originally from London, so I'm british", she began to explain. "But I've been all around: America, Germany, any NERV site they needed. Mom was japanese, though, so that's why I can speak it so well", she added, grinning.

Shinji was about to ask about her father, but kept quiet. He wasn't one to pry into her private matters.

Besides, his own experiences with parents made it a touchy subject for him: he didn't knew how the girl felt about her own. Better to not ask anything.

Rei glanced at Mari, paying attention to her story.

"...so when the Angel's started to appear, they sent me here", she said, raising her hands and smirking. "The famous Tokyo-3! A lot better than London or Berlin, I might add."

Toji snorted. "Well, at least there's no monsters there."

"Ah, but that's no fun, is it?", Mari retorted, laughing. "No use for EVA Pilots if there's no Angels."

For a time, nobody responded. Mari looked around, seeing everyone either ignore her statement or look away from her. She didn't get it.

Toji frowned. "Yeah, right", he simply said. If there were no Angels, maybe Sakura wouldn't be at the hospital.

Shinji kept eating his food in silence, staring at the ground. If there were no Angels, he wouldn't have to pilot. Everybody would be safe. Toji's sister wouldn't been hurt.

The jock, noticing Shinji's behaviour, gave him a soft smile, telling him to not worry about it. Shinji nodded, sighing.

Mari looked at Shinji, seeing the boy with a depressed expression. She nudged him with her elbow.

"Yo, puppy, you okay there?", she asked, raising a brow.

Shinji lifted his head in surprise, forcing a smile. "Uh...yeah, sure", he answered.

As the awkward silence crept its way around the group, Mari cleared her throat. Had she said anything wrong? Maybe she enjoyed piloting more than someone normally would, but what was the problem?

Trying to lift the spirits, she turned to Rei, smiling.

"What about you, Blue? Where are you from?", she asked.

Rei glanced sideways at her, still eating. She responded in a monotone, almost a whisper:

"From NERV."

The bell rang. Lunch was over.

* * *

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** There are waters you should tread gently, Ms. Makinami.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you did, leave **favorite** , and, of course, a **review**. Criticism is welcomed.

See you guys next time.


	13. Tidal Wave Pt 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Neon Genesis Evangelion or The Rebuild of Evangelion.**

* * *

 **NEON GENESIS**

 **EVANGELION: SUBSTANCE**

 **Episode 13:**

" **Tidal Wave Pt. 3"**

* * *

 **Rei brought her hands together and pointed her arms forward. The light reflecting on the water's surface made the girl squint her eyes, but she ignored it as she prepared herself for the dive.**

She leaped to the warm waters of the pool, wiggling her legs and arms to propulse herself. With trained movements and practice, she could be considered a good swimmer, but there was no one to tell her about that. She simply enjoyed the feeling she got whenever she dived into the school's pool: it was different from taking a bath at her apartment or at NERV's.

Here the water was warm and pleasant, very different from the cold shower she usually took. Not that this bothered the girl in the slightest: there was no reason to pester the Commander with such frivolities.

It gave her peace. It was good to think of nothing sometimes.

Outside the pool, her female classmates were sprung around, most simply chatting or gossiping about things that Rei had no interest in. A group of them was concentrated on a side of the fence, yelling and laughing at something Rei had no idea of what it was. The male students were assigned to a sports court just below the pool level, so maybe they were interacting with them from some distance.

She could hear some of the girls shouting Pilot Ikari's name with a strange gleeful tone. What made them react in such way to his presence?

She had seen examples of this behaviour before: girls or boys happily talking to someone of the opposite sex, a glim on their eyes and stuttering on their voices. Rei attributed such behaviour to a obvious sexual attraction between two people, and she concluded that it wasn't different with Shinji. The same happened with Pilot Makinami: she noticed a lot of male students staring at the girl with lust on their eyes. Some whispered here and there about her physical attributes, with a mischievous tone on their voices.

But it was of no concern of her what her fellow pilot did with their free time. As long as it didn't disturb their duties, she had no reason to care.

Rei touched the pool wall, turning her body to propel herself once again. She closed her eyes and cleared her mind, like she did many times before.

* * *

Mari Makinami Illustrious leaned on the fence, her arms crossed. The school swimsuit was a bit tight on certain parts of her body, but she didn't mind: just a reminder of her features. She wasn't someone to boast about her own looks, but Mari did had a good degree of self-awareness.

She gazed upon her classmates with a small smirk. The sight of them simply living a normal school life was interesting, to say the least: Tokyo-3 lived under the constant threat of invasion and war, but the people there carried on like there was nothing to worry about. Maybe it was their lack of knowledge, or their uninvolvement with the whole deal, but the sight was strange nonetheless.

She was a pilot, one that fought for the survival of humanity. So did Shinji and Rei. Maybe that's why they just couldn't live a simple and normal life.

 _Specially_ Mari: she was part of something even dangerous now, something that she didn't even knew if it was going to succeed. As of now, WILLE was something working in the shadows: if even a small clue of their doings and objectives were to leak, they would be dead in the spot.

The truth was that Mari didn't even _knew_ that much: she was aware of a few members, like Bethmann, a woman called Izumi and a man called Akira. She was to be an operative inside NERV, someone to gather information on its plans and follow any additional orders she was given. It was a scary thought: to be alone inside the most powerful and secret organization in the world. And in the end, she was little more than a teenager, a child.

But she had made a promise, a long time ago. A promise she wasn't going to break.

Mari couldn't lie: she enjoyed piloting. She really did. But things were not so simple for her male comrade-at-arms: he started to pilot because he was made to, not because he wanted it.

She could sense the hesitation inside him, the doubts that plagued Shinji Ikari: in their previous conversation, Mari hadn't been the most tactful person in the world. The boy seemed troubled by her carefree opinion on it, making him go silent.

She could understand that he didn't enjoy it. It could be a painful and traumatizing experience, one that he was not ready for. But at the same time, he had seemed like he had already accepted the duty that was given to him.

Mari would've been kept in the dark on the matter, if she hadn't caught a understanding exchange of looks between Shinji and that Toji guy. Had something happened? She wanted to find out.

Someone appeared on her peripheral vision, prompting the girl to turn her head: in front of her, two girls stood, clad in swimsuits just like hers. The taller one, with short brown hair and jade green eyes, gave Mari a bright smile with her hand on her back. The other girl had long dark hair, wearing a pair of glasses that seemed too big for her, while hiding behind her friend.

"Hello!", the brown-haired girl greeted happily, waving. "Makinami-san, right? The new student?"

Mari blinked at their sudden appearance, but soon smiled back at her. No issue in being friendly to her now fellow students, after all, she would be spending a lot of time at school.

'She's also cute', the thought popped into Mari's head. She sighed mentally: no need to be a pervert right now.

"Yep, that's me", she answered, putting a hand on her hip. "Nice school you got here. Quite charming."

The girl giggled and pointed a finger to her own chest. "I'm Mana Kirishima", she introduced herself, before leaning sideways so Mari could see her dark haired friend behind her. "And this is Mayumi Yamagishi. Come on, don't be shy."

The girl looked at Mari hesitantly, giving her a small smile along with a nervous greet:

"H-hi. Nice to meet you", she said, her voice meek and low.

Mana mocked a huff, turning to Mari. "Sorry, she's like that sometimes", she explained, a apologetic smile on her face.

Mari snorted, amused. "Don't worry, I'm used to shyness", she said, waving in dismissal. "Nice to meet you two as well. I would've tried to talk to some people in class, but some of them were giving me some mean stares", she continued, leaning on the girl and hiding her smirk with an open hand.

"Oh", she responded surprised, before giggling again. "Weeell...maybe some girls got upset that you were so close to Ikari. Just my take on it, heh."

Mari raised a brow and barked a laugh. "Really? Damn, Shin-chan is going places. Maybe I should keep my puppy in a leash", she said playfully.

From behind Mana, Mayumi's eyes widened in shock. "W-what? You're...you…", she tried to spell out, stuttering. The class had found strange how the new student referred to Ikari as 'puppy', but no one said anything. Their minds were still occupied with more important matter, like Mari herself.

Mari chuckled. "Just kidding, puppy-girl. You're easier to fluster than Shinji", she said mockingly.

Mana snorted while Mayumi fidgeted her fingers, her face red from embarrassment.

"Our Mayumi here has a little crush on Ikari, if you couldn't tell", Mana explained teasingly. "Can't blame the girl, though. If Chihiro wasn't such bitch, I would be going for it too", she added, looking over a particular spot on the pool court.

Mari hummed in acknowledgement, following her gaze: a dark-haired girl was surrounded by a pack of squealing lackeys, all talking to their smug looking leader at the same time.

"She certainly looks like one", Mari said, smirking. "A bitch, that is."

Mana laughed and Mayumi covered her giggle with her palm. 'A little joke can open up people, it seems', Mari thought, smirking.

Mana turned back to Mari, still laughing. "Well, what about you, Makina…"

"Just Mari, come on", Mari interrupted, lifting her arms. "I know you japanese are polite and all, but you can call me by my first name alright."

Mana's eyes widened in surprise, before smiling softly. "Well, okay, _Mari._ I was going to ask about you and Ikari. I mean, you two seemed pretty...close?", Mana asked, tilting her head sideways and smiling awkwardly, trying to not sound disrespectful. Mayumi, who kept silent during the conversation, perked up her head slightly to better hear Mari's answer.

As for the pilot, she turned her head to look past the fence she was leaning on before. At a short distance, she could see Shinji talking to Toji and Kensuke, sitting on a bench with many other boys. He seemed to have lightened up, compared to before.

Mari kicked herself mentally: she should watch her words next time.

"Well… he's a nice guy. Cute too", she started, scratching her chin and smirking. "But there's nothing going on between us. We just met last week."

Both girl's eyes widened. "Last week? The way you spoke to him, it seemed like you guys knew each other for...ages, I don't know", said Mana with a brow raised.

Mari snorted at the girls. "Nope, that's just my way of doing things", she explained. "And, well, you must already know that I'm pilot too. Me and the puppy will be working together, so I better get on good terms with him", she finished, frowning slightly at the last part. She should apologize to Shinji later.

"Oh, we heard the rumors, but we didn't knew if it was true!", Mana exclaimed, smiling. "Two pilots arriving in the space of two weeks!"

Mayumi, who seemed content to stay quiet until now, stepped forward, fidgeting her fingers.

"I-Is it…", she started, surprising Mana. Her friend wasn't usually forthcoming. "Is it scary?"

Mari seemed surprised by the question, pausing for a moment and looking down.

"Well, sometimes", she explained. "I've only fought one Angel before, but I love piloting. Been doing it for a long time." She smiled, but the memories of Unit-00 and its wild nature surfaced again, making Mari frown. She still had to investigate that.

Mana chuckled. "Good to know we got professionals, then!", she said. "What about Ikari? He's the one who killed both those monster, right?"

"Yep, he did! He's pretty good for someone without training!", Mari continued, chuckling as well. "As for Blue, i've never saw her piloting, so I can't say."

The two girls seemed confused for a moment. "Blue? You mean Ayanami?", Mayumi asked.

"Uh, yeah. What's the problem?", Mari asked, raising a brow.

The girls turned to look at the pool, where the blue-haired girl swam. She seemed ignorant of the world around her, simply going from one side of the pool to another with impressive speed.

"We didn't knew she was a pilot too!", Mana exclaimed, surprised.

"Really?", Mari asked, incredulous. "You never talked to her?"

"Uh, well...", the brown-haired girl started, scratching her head. "Not really. No one does. She always keeps to herself. Doesn't have any friends either, apparently."

"I-I tried once", Mayumi barged in, looking at the pool. "But she didn't seem interested. She just keeps looking outside the window for most of the class. Like she wishes she was somewhere else or something…"

Mayumi quickly paused, raising her hands embarrassed. "S-sorry! I didn't want to sound mean!"

"Relax", Mari responded, snorting and raising a hand. "I don't know her that much either. She's always like that."

Always like that.

Mari gazed upon the pool, watching the waves forming after Rei passed. The girl was _really_ a mystery: no records, no parents, no birthplace, no nothing.

 _What about you, blue? Where are you from?_

 _From NERV._

The answer Mari got didn't help on the matter. Either she was incredibly secretive of her life… or there was something else, something worse.

"Mari-san?", Mana called her. She turned to the pair in front of her. "It's our turn to use the pool, so we'll talk later, okay?", she said happily.

Mari smiled back, noticing the class rep calling the girls behind them. "Sure, see ya!", she said, waving.

As the girls got away, Mari watched Rei exiting the pool, wearing the same swimsuit as the rest of the class. Funnily enough, the blue cloth matched her hair.

The girl glanced at Mari, who waved at her, smiling. She kept staring at her for a few seconds, without any reaction, before turning away and walking off.

Mari lowered her hand, sighing in frustration. That day just kept getting better and better.

* * *

Shinji felt a buzzing sound on his pocket as he walked away from school after classes ended. Startled, he grabbed his phone on his pocket, flipping it open. He had to turn himself backways, as the late afternoon sun on his face made him unable to see it properly.

" _Hey Shin-chan! I invited Rits for some dinner at our place tonight. Could you be a dear and cook for us? Oh, and if Mari's there, invite her too. Don't have her phone number 3_ _"._

Shinji snorted lightly at the text, making both his friends turn their head to him, brows raised.

"Who is it? Another chick wanting to meet our little Shin-man?", Toji mocked, drinking the soda he had bought earlier at school.

Shinji groaned. "No, it's Misato. She's telling me we'll have a dinner party tonight", he explained.

Hearing a splashing sound, Shinji turned to see Toji spilling his drink with wide eyes and Kensuke already rushing towards the pilot.

" _Dude!_ You got to invite us!", he begged, being followed by Toji holding Shinji's shoulders with a imploring look on his face. "You have to share it, man! You can't keep Misato to yourself!", they yelled exasperatedly.

Shinji pushed his friends back, frowning. "Oh god, stop it already! She's just my guardian!", he tried to explain for the hundredth time. Shinji was already getting tired of Toji and Kensuke drooling all over the woman, a subject they were more than happy to bring up.

"Bullshit! You're getting some action and we know it!", proclaimed Toji, pointing an accusing finger to Shinji.

"Can't keep lying to us like that, man!", added Kensuke, crossing his arms and adjusting his glasses. He frowned and closed his eyes, clicking his tongue as if disappointed with a lying child.

"You guys are paranoid!", Shinji yelled back. While he couldn't deny Misato's, uh, 'assets', that wasn't how he viewed his new guardian. She was the woman who had taken him into her house, who was kind to him, who treated him like a normal person even with all the responsibilities put on his shoulder. Misato's teasing was annoying at times, but it showed that the woman viewed him as a normal kid, not some soldier in a war. "It's not like that!"

"Yeah, right", they huffed, not believing a word from Shinji. "So how about you invite us to your party, eh? That way, we can check if what you say is true!", they added, trying to get around the subject.

Shinji groaned. "I can't just invite whoever I want. It would be rude!", he tried to reason.

They scratched his head, sighing in defeat. "Fine. But next time, put our names on the invitation list!", they demanded angrily, earning a snort from Shinji. "Who's going, anyway?"

"Well, besides Misato and I, there's Dr. Akagi. You know, the one who busted Kensuke's camera that time", he explained, the mention of the faux-blonde woman making his friends shudder. "And Mari too, if I can find her."

"That crazy chick?", Toji asked, brows raised. "Shit, this party getting less inviting by the minute."

"Really?", Kensuke asked slyly. "Weren't you ogling her during class?"

"W-well, that's not the point!", Toji exclaimed, embarrassed. "It's just… I dunno."

Shinji gazed at Toji scratching his head, a thoughtful expression on his face. He smiled and put a hand on the jock's shoulder.

"I get it, Toji, but don't hold a grudge or anything", he told his friend. "She doesn't know about the stuff that happened to your sister. I mean, if she was the one piloting that day, thing would probably be different. She's a nice person"

Toji barked a laugh, nodding. "Yeah, right. Don't sell yourself so short, chief, you've already defeated two of those things", he told Shinji, smirking. "It's that… she talks about it so casually, while you bust your ass off out there. Can't even believe she's a pilot."

"Well, she is, and probably a much better one at that", Shinji chuckled. "She had training. I'm just an amateur."

"Well, you're a goddamn hero in our books", Kensuke barged in, slapping Shinji's back. "I could be your sidekick, you know? You can talk to Misato, maybe see if they need another pilot or something", he added, brows raised and a mischievous smile on his face.

"Eh, I don't think that's how it works", Shinji explained, snorting. "We already got three pilots and two EVA's. Don't think they will build one for you, Ken."

Kensuke growled in defeat, putting his hand on his pockets while he walked. "Well, they built one for you and Ayanami, so what's the problem?"

"Well, I don't know. Money?", Shinji answered meekly, scratching his head. "Besides, even if Mari talks about it like its the best thing in the world, it's not that easy. Rei got hurt in an accident with the EVA before I even got here, and her wounds are just done healing. It's dangerous."

"That's why she missed two weeks of class?", Kensuke questioned, surprised. "Damn, I didn't even knew she was a pilot until last week."

Shinji sighed, turning his face away from them. "There's a lot of things I don't know about her."

Rei Ayanami. A enigma on legs.

While Shinji wasn't one to intrude, witnessing Mari trying to interact with Rei here and there left a lingering curiosity on his mind. The girl seemed to closed herself off to the world, not talking to anybody or even paying attention to class. She simply existed, walking around with graceful robotic movements, her face a blank slate. He wanted to know why she was like that.

Why the only person she ever interacted with was his father.

Shinji frowned and grimaced internally. Not the time to think about that stuff.

* * *

Mari leaned and grabbed the can from the vending machine's porthole. Opening it, she drank two gulps of the soda, before letting out a 'ahhh' of satisfaction.

Adjusting her bag on her shoulder and cleaning her uniform, she strode out through the orange lit streets.

She walked in a slow pace, humming to herself one of the many songs she remembered word by word. After a tiring first school day, she simply wished to enjoy the freedom that was given to her.

Freedom. Meaning she had no tasks to perform or orders to obey. The discreet phone she kept on her bag hadn't ringed ever since she received confirmation from Bethmann a couple of days before, meaning there were no additional orders.

She sighed, not knowing what to think: not only she didn't had her own EVA yet, she didn't had anything to do at all. WILLE kept silent, and her only task as of now was 'being an honest teenager'.

Who was also an EVA Pilot. And an agent working for a secret organization. Most people wouldn't be so calm at that prospect, but Mari was used to it. There was no danger yet, after all.

So she kept walking calmly, thinking back on her day.

School was fine, she wouldn't have any problems with it. While she wasn't a prodigy like the princess, she could handle herself. Other than that, she realized that Section 2's presence on the school's ground was minimal, meaning there was no reason to be overly cautious inside it. Not that she was going to start spilling top secret details around, just that she didn't had to keep appearances or look over her shoulder every time she turned a corridor.

She could be herself.

She wasn't used to standart education, as she studied under Bethmann for most of her life. He was a good tutor, if not a bit impatient, a fact that made most of the tutoring sessions amusing.

That also meant that she didn't had many friends, or many opportunities to make some. Maybe one or two, between Nevada and Berlin. Funnily enough, her 'best' friend was the princess, even if the girl seemed to despise her presence alone.

Except when Mari was the only one she could talk to, when Kaji was on one business travel or another. Asuka would keep herself around Mari, making small talk and excuses for her presence. "I'm bored, so i'm stuck here with you", she would say.

Mari teased and mocked, but she understood: the redhead didn't had anyone to truly talk to. She refused the many opportunities that were given to her, even Mari's. A girl that never opened herself to anyone.

Mari had heard the story from Bethmann (Kaji would refuse to say anything). The blonde Major judged that Mari had to know such information, as an agent for WILLE. How the Major knew the whole story, she had no idea.

And for many times, Mari struggled with herself, wanting to tell Asuka the truth about the matter, but her better judgement denied it. God knows what she would do if she knew.

Maybe when they transferred her to Tokyo-3, thing would be better. There were interesting people there, people who Mari also wanted to know better, instead of the shallow professional relationships she maintained with NERV personnel.

Mari wondered what she would think of puppy-b…

'Oh, there he is', she thought, spotting the skinny boy walking on his uniform along with his two friends. After that awkward lunch before P.E., she hadn't had the chance to talk to him.

At the thought, Mari felt something unpleasant on her stomach. She still had to apologize to him for being a dick. She felt bad after the event, wondering if she had said something wrong to him and jock-boy, something she didn't knew what it was yet.

Shinji was smiling, talking with his friends casually, his voice unintelligible from that distance. Well, that's a good sign, at least.

She took a step forward, but pause. She considered: not only she wanted to apologize to Shinji specifically (to jock-boy as well) but if she simply barged in without warning, it would be a very intrusive move.

She didn't usually care about that stuff, but it seemed that Shinji was a very private person. Such things could upset the boy to some extent, as she didn't even knew if he was angry at her or something.

'Have a little tact, Ms. Illustrious', she thought, snorting, before walking slowly at some distance from the trio.

Mari hummed as she waited patiently, and soon enough, jock and nerd-boy waved goodbye to Shinji, leaving him alone on the way home.

She approached the boy quietly, walking by his side. "Yo, puppy."

Shinji jumped sideways, startled by her sudden appearance. Mari kicked herself mentally. 'So much for tact'.

"Oh, it's you, Mari", he said, putting a hand on his heart and smiling as he caught his breath. "Didn't see you there."

"Well, I'm a sneaky one", she said, smirking. "I wanted to talk to you."

"I wanted to talk to you too", he replied, smiling. "Misato invited you to a dinner party at our apartment tonight. I'll be cooking."

Mari was surprised by the invitation. "Really?, she asked, barking a laugh. "Well, guess I'll have to go home and take a shower. A nice opportunity to evaluate your cooking skills", she said giggling, before frowning suddenly, scratching her arm. "Well, anyway, I have to tell you something."

The boy dropped his smile: seeing her serious face got him a bit worried. "Uh, sure. What is it?"

"Well, I…", she started, looking upwards and breathing deeply. "I wanted to apologize, puppy-boy."

Shinji glanced at her, confused. "What? Apologize?", he asked, turning to the girl. "What for?"

Mari sighed, adjusting her bag on her shoulder. "For earlier today. I made you uncomfortable and stuff. Shouldn't have said anything."

Shinji stared at the girl biting her lips, looking down on the ground. He had never seen Mari like that: she was always cheered up, teasing and joking around. It was a strange sight: and embarrassed Mari Makinami Illustrious.

At that, Shinji started to chuckle, making Mari turn to him surprised. She started to laugh as well.

"Damn, you're a merciless one, huh?", she mocked. "I mean it, puppy. I just blurted out stuff without thinking."

Shinji finished his laughter, chuckling at Mari's behaviour. "It's nothing, Mari. It wasn't your fault I got down. I…", he started to say, lifting his arm and scratching his head. "I tend to do that sometimes. Get upset for nothing, I mean."

Mari hummed, nodding. "Hm, I get it", she said. "I still don't know what bothered you, but… well, I won't pry."

Shinji smiled, putting his hands on his pockets. He hadn't been upset with the girl, not really. It was his own matter, something that he himself regretted. The accident with Toji's sister was something that had been on Shinji's mind a lot lately, especially after he asked his friend if he could visit her. And, after all, the two of them had become good friends, with Toji always smacking Shinji if he dared to mope about it. "I was that monster's fault, not yours", he would say.

Even so, he appreciated that Mari went her way to apologize. That meant that she had stopped and considered his feeling on the matter, something that Shinji wasn't that used to. He could point at some examples, though, like Misato, or Toji, and Uncle Akira. It was something he enjoyed, even if he knew that it didn't meant people who didn't consider it were bad. Most people don't think about putting themselves on other person's shoes, so he couldn't begrudge it. It only showed that there were people that really cared.

Maybe Mari was one of them.

"Toji's sister got hurt when the Third Angel attacked", he explained. "The battle was messy, so I had no idea there was a civilian on the street."

Mari glanced at him, a worried smile on her face. "I see", she said, before turning away again. "Sorry anyway, puppy. I can be a little annoying at times."

Shinji kept silent for a moment, reflecting on it. She could be obnoxious here and there, but it was all good on Shinji's book: she was being herself. She wasn't putting a facade for him, or pretending to be friendly just because he was a pilot too. Shinji liked that.

"Don't worry, _glasses_ , it's all on the past", he answered, looking at her and smirking.

The girl turned her head slowly and stared at him, eyes wide. A smirk crept on her lips.

"Did you…", she started, barking a laugh. "Did you just give me a _nickname?"_

Shinji's smile dropped and he turned away, embarrassed. "Well, uh...of you don't like it, I can just…"

"No, no, no! I like it!", she interrupted, laughing loudly. "I think you're the first one to actually get it!"

"Get it?", Shinji asked, confused. "What do you mean?"

She giggled, throwing her hand in the air. "I give people nicknames because I like them, puppy-boy", she explained happily. "It's not because I want to mock you guys or anything. I just want to show, well, my appreciation."

She mocked a deep bow, almost hitting her head on the ground. "So it's an honor to be nicknamed by the Great Shinji Ikari", she said, before getting up and slapping Shinji's back, smiling.

The boy grinned, amused. "Well, it's an honor to be counted among those people."

The girl stopped, facing Shinji with an ear-to-ear smile. She extended her hand open, confusing Shinji.

"Not only that, puppy-boy, but I can count you among an even better group...", she said, toning down her smile until only a soft curve remained on her mouth.

"I consider you a friend, Shinji Ikari. We'll be partners in battle, after all, so if you cover my back, I'll cover yours. No more accidents like with the jock's sister", she proclaimed. "Deal?"

Shinji blinked, surprised at the gesture. Mari looked at him with a sincere smile, something Shinji was getting more and more used to.

A friend. A month ago, Shinji couldn't even say if he had friends, not even one. On the last two weeks, he met Misato, Toji and Kensuke, people who cared about him for who he was, and not for just being a pilot or an asset. People that cared about him, for who he was.

And now, Mari Makinami Illustrious offered her friendship as well. Not only that, but she offered to help him: to never let something like what happened to Sakura Suzuhara happen again. To help people, the people he cared about.

Her hand still hanged in the air, but Shinji was too surprised to react. Mari cleared her throat, prompting Shinji to wake up.

He smiled, extending his own hand and shaking the girl's.

"Deal."

* * *

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** Well, one thing at a time.

'Tidal Wave' is a song by Thee Oh Sees, a little band that I enjoy. In case you guys haven't noticed, i name my chapters with song names (a very common practice among fic writers). The songs sometimes will have something to do with the chapter, and sometimes don't. Usually I choose them for what they make me _feel_. I used to listen to 'Tidal Wave' when I was around my town or at school, simply living my life (which is basically what we have in this chapter).

Here we have a few familiar faces around (well, for some of you, at least). Mana and Mayumi are what I call the "extracanonical squad". Characters that appeared in other Eva medias, like games or stuff. I chose them to be in this story because I wanted to make the school feel more alive, let's say. You shouldn't expect any larger involvement in the story from them.

Also, Mana is too damn cute.

Writing Mari has proved to be one of my favorite aspects of this fic, and I very much enjoyed writing that last part. She's a good girl.

Not as good as the one who's angrily waiting for her triumphal entrance, but yeah.

Anyway, hope you all enjoyed. **Leave a favorite, follow the story and send some reviews if you did. Your opinion matters a lot.**

See you all next time.


	14. New Person, Same Old Mistakes

**Disclaimer: I do not own Neon Genesis Evangelion or The Rebuild of Evangelion.**

* * *

 **NEON GENESIS**

 **EVANGELION: SUBSTANCE**

 **Episode 14:**

" **New Person, Same Old Mistakes"**

* * *

 **(2002, Toyohashi City)**

 **There was a knock on the door, prompting Professor Fuyutsuki to raise his head in surprise. He wasn't expecting anyone, and the illegal nature of his recent work made him startle at the prospect of trouble. It was pure instinct, though: the lack of medical staff and knowledge on the area made him one of the few essential personnel on the ruined city. If they disturbed his work, it would be on their asses. There were too many injured or hurt people to bother with licenses or approvals.**

"Come in", he called, frowning slightly and looking over his own desk in search of anything that wasn't supposed to be there. Fortunately, only a few files and papers regarding patients were placed on his old wooden desk, making the place an office as good as any other. Besides the complete chaos of medical equipment and lack of cleaning, that is.

The rest was inside his safe, behind the large bookcase by the wall.

The door opened creaking loudly, making the professor click his tongue: he should get that fixed, if he remembered it.

Those thoughts were shaken when Fuyutsuki recognized the person who had just entered, making his eyes go wide.

"Hello, professor", the man greeted, smiling softly. "It's been a while."

After the initial shock, Fuyutsuki managed to chuckle under his breath, relieved.

"It has, Akira", he greeted back. "Didn't expect to see you here. Actually, I have no idea how you found me."

The old man gazed upon his formed student: it had been a couple of years since he had last saw him, but it seemed that he hadn't changed much. His dark brown hair was still a little too overgrown, and he still sported a young appearance overall, besides the dark circles under his eyes and the beginnings of wrinkles over his face. Fuyutsuki shuddered for a second: at a glance, Akira could be mistaken for his brother.

The man was wearing a dark suit, making the professor question if Akira had found some corporate job: had he abandoned the bioengineering path?

A shame: he was a good student, one with a lot of potential. But Fuyutsuki wasn't one to judge: he had done the same, setting up shop as a medic. There wasn't much use to scientists and biophysical researchers on the days after Second Impact.

"Well, it wasn't that hard, to be honest", Akira answered, smirking and approaching the desk. "I'll explain it later. For now…"

The man pointed to Fuyutsuki's chair raising a brow, prompting the old professor to offer a seat and open a discreet drawer on the bottom of his desk.

"Make yourself comfortable. Care for a drink?", Fuyutsuki offered, placing the whiskey bottle between the two.

Akira sat, crossing his legs and smiling faintly at the offer. "Maybe next time", he refused. "Don't remember you drinking much back then."

"Well, things change. A lot, may I add, given recent times." Fuyutsuki poured half a glass, resting the bottle on his side, in case he needed more.

Akira slowly exhaled through his nose, nodding in acknowledgement and frowning.

"Yes. I suppose they do", he answered, breathing heavily. "I'm sorry, this heat is killing me. Can I take off my suit?"

"You're not some college student anymore, Akira", Fuyutsuki humored, waving his hand. "Feel free."

Akira removed his dark coat and placed it sideways, using his hand to fan some fresh air towards his sweaty face.

"A whole year of summer", he said, sighing.

"Yes, and no sign of change", the professor added. "Second Impact came to stay, it seems."

Akira laughed softly. "Don't be so pessimistic, professor. The world can be rebuilt."

"Not at this rate. With how things are going, the rest will go down the drain soon. What we didn't lose to Second Impact will be lost to man's hand", Fuyutsuki answered, moody. "So much waste of life."

"I understand your concerns, professor", Akira conceded, sighing. "Can't say I don't worry as well. Remember Izumi and Nicholas?"

"You mean those friends of yours?", the professor asked. "The short girl and the foreign one?"

"Exactly. They enlisted."

"Where were they sent?"

"India-Pakistan border."

"Ah", Fuyutsuki responded, understanding Akira's worry. "I wish them luck, then."

"So do I."

Fuyutsuki closed his eyes and sipped the drink. The liquid went straight to his throat, the burning sensation of alcohol making the man squint his eyes and sigh in pleasure. He wouldn't overdo it, of course, but the sensation had calmed him down numerous times before.

The professor gazed upon Akira, smirking in an attempt to lighten the mood. "Well, I have to say I'm curious: where have _you_ been this whole time? I thought you were dead."

The corner of Akira's mouth twisted in a half-smile, amused by his old teacher's remark.

"I guess that's only natural. With so many missing or dead even now, people start to assume the worst", he answered, scratching his chin. "But as you can see, I survived. I have my new job to thank for that."

Fuyutsuki leaned on his chair, sipping his drink occasionally. "I see. And what job would that be? You seem very different from your college days", the professor humoured, pointing towards Akira's impeccable suit. The young man was never one to care too much about his own appearance.

"Well, as you said yourself, _things change_ ", he started, looking down on his own lap and scratching the back of his neck.

Fuyutsuki sipped his drink slowly, his eyes closed. He had a guess about the nature of Akira's new profession, but wanted to hear from his own mouth.

The younger man lifted his head again, smiling. "Before Second Impact, I… received a call", he continued, fidgeting his fingers. "From the Ministry of Internal Affairs."

"I see", the professor answered, smirking. "A young man with a lot of potential, wasting his career on biophysics. The minister couldn't let it happen, could he?"

"Actually, they heard about me from a… mutual acquaintance", Akira explained. "Someone who saw my potential and asked them to contact me."

"Hm, didn't knew you had friends in high places."

Akira uncrossed his legs and leaned his elbows on them, covering his mouth with his hands.

"Neither did I", Akira answered. "But it seemed that appearances can be deceiving. After I finished my doctorate, he contacted me."

Fuyutsuki sipped again, raising a brow. "And who might that be?"

"Gendo."

Fuyutsuki couldn't help but be surprised. His eyes widened, and he placed the glass on the table, leaning on it.

" _Him?_ But I thought…"

"We solved our differences, for the time being", Akira continued, looking away with a stern expression. "It was too important of a matter to let petty conflicts on the way, or so he said."

The professor hummed in acknowledgement. He never liked the man: his attitude and behaviour earned distrust from the professor.

What she had seen on him, Fuyutsuki couldn't figure out.

"Last I heard, he went to Antarctica as a member of Katsuragi's Research Team. Did he…?", the professor started to ask.

"He survived. And so did I", Akira answered, interrupting Fuyutsuki.

The professor raised a brow again, confused. "How? What do you mean?"

Akira leaned on his seat, crossing his arms. "After Gendo brought me in, Katsuragi was assigned as the head of the expedition. I had already met him through similar circles: a good man, if not a bit distant", Akira explained. "With the government and the UN's backing, soon we went to the south pole. I volunteered."

Fuyutsuki squinted his eyes. "You didn't thought it was suspicious?"

"At the time, I saw it as an career opportunity, so I didn't asked any questions", Akira continued. "I don't have the permission to tell you the details yet, professor. Suffice to say: both me and Gendo went back to Japan a day before the disaster. A stroke of luck."

Fuyutsuki leaned back, frowning. He stared at his former student for a few seconds, suspicious.

"Luck, you say?", he said, a hint of accusation on his voice. "Never expected you of all people to turn out like this, Akira. What did you do on the south pole?"

Akira exhaled through his nose, closing his eyes as if he was ashamed. "I can't tell you yet,."

Fuyutsuki huffed, turning his chair sideways and frowning. He stared at his window, watching the landscape: an almost completely sunken city, full of people hurt and dying. All because of Second Impact, an event that looked less and less like an 'incident'.

"Very well", he replied dryly.

"I can't tell you _yet_ , professor", Akira repeated, looking up to Fuyutsuki. "That's the reason I came here."

Fuyutsuki glanced his former student while he brought up his case, removing a few documents from it.

"I came here to bring you two invitations,", Akira explained, placing one paper on the desk.

Fuyutsuki turned once again towards Akira, picking the document up. After a quick read, his eyebrows raised.

"UN?", he asked, confused. "Does that mean…?"

"The Government of Japan and the UN are organizing a second expedition", Akira explained, smiling softly. "If you want your answers, you'll have them."

Fuyutsuki eyes the document for a long minute, analyzing every detail. It was strange, to say the least: he didn't knew what the UN expected to find on the South Pole.

He raised his head to Akira, a questioning look on his face.

"Who recommended me?"

"I did", Akira confessed, smirking. "And so did the rest of the expedition."

Fuyutsuki pondered for a few seconds. Looking around him, all he saw was the evidence of a disaster that killed billions, and injured many more. His role as a doctor on the ruined town was important, a place where he, sometimes, felt he could make a difference.

Besides, he had a bad feeling about it: being involved with something that big didn't sat well with him. Man like Gendo Ikari, the Minister and the people of the UN always had second intentions in mind.

Maybe it was too dangerous. Maybe he should let it go: the answers he seeked probably weren't the ones he hoped to get.

"I'm…", he started, sighing. "I'm sorry, Akira. I'm afraid I'll refuse."

Akira seemed surprised at the answer, his eyes widening. "But why?"

Fuyutsuki once again poured the whiskey on the glass, staring at it casually and frowning.

"The people I help here need me", he said. "The JSDF abandoned this place a few months ago, so there's no medical attention or anyone to help. The city was practically abandoned."

Fuyutsuki brought the glass up and drank almost half of it in one gulp. He released a satisfied sigh, his expression souring soon after.

"I believe I'll be more useful here. You have good people, but this is something I'm not sure i want to get involved with", he added. "I wish you luck, Akira."

After finishing it, he turned his chair sideways once again, his eyes closed.

Akira kept silent for a long minute, looking at his own hands, pondering on his old teacher's words. Fuyutsuki waited. He wanted to hear what Akira had to say. Would he try to convince him? Or would he drop the matter?

"A few months ago", Akira started, breaking the silence and prompting Fuyutsuki to glance at him, listening. "Some supplies were being stolen from one of the JSDF's facilities. Every night, things like food and water would simply disappear without a trace. At first, the platoon thought that some soldiers were exceeding their supply quota, but that wasn't it."

Fuyutsuki exhaled from his nose, turning his head slightly at Akira. At the least, he wanted to hear where he was going with it.

"An investigation started, and soon they found the culprits: a group of orphans who had survived by stealing food on small stores and anywhere they could find something to eat", Akira continued, his head down. "Malnourished and without anyone to care for them, they probably heard about the military stash and decided to risk it."

"One day, they captured one of them. They pressured the kid, practically tortured him, to make him tell where his accomplices were. The boy couldn't handle it: he confessed."

Fuyutsuki looked away, frowning. He knew where this was going. "What happened after?"

"They found the group and executed them", said Akira, fidgeting his fingers. "No trial, no nothing: they simply entered their hideout and killed everybody."

Fuyutsuki hummed sternly: such was the martial law in Japan.

"Just before the assault, word got to the Ministry about the whole ordeal, and they sent me to assess the situation. When I got there, I saw it all: the bodies, the blood, the whole massacre. The JSDF had already left: no trace of them. Nothing to reprimand or punish", he continued. "The only person on the scene was the kid who had revealed the hideout location."

"He was screaming, crying. All of his friends, including his brother, had just been shot at cold blood. He was no older than fourteen, just a boy. There wasn't anything to be done: no way to reprimand the soldiers, or their extremist ways. Japan couldn't bother with it: throwing away trained soldiers because of a small accident", Akira went on, his hand a tight grip. "After that, I took the boy to the authorities and demanded him to be taken care of. Risked my neck on the Ministry for it. Second Impact had destroyed his life more than once: the death of his parents, and now, the death of everyone he ever knew."

Akira went silent after that, as did Fuyutsuki. For a long minute, neither of them looked at each other: they simply pondered.

Fuyutsuki broke the silence: "What's your point, Akira?", he asked in a low tone, almost a whisper.

Akira adjusted himself on his seat, now staring at Fuyutsuki.

"My point is that I helped _one_ kid. A single person among billions", he told the professor, frowning. "The same way you help people here: one at a time, dozens, maybe a hundred. Not nearly enough."

Fuyutsuki raised a brow, but kept silent.

"We have the opportunity to make a _difference_ , Kozo", he continued. Fuyutsuki was surprised by the use of his first name. The man always called him 'professor'. "To discover the truth about Second Impact. How many wars started two years ago? Because of simple retaliation and petty reasons, because the world was a mess?"

Akira rose from his seat and leaned on the table. "Don't you want to make a difference? To be part of an larger effort?", he asked passionately. Leaning even closer, he closed his eyes and sighed. "This is our opportunity, professor. Maybe this is the time for idealism."

Fuyutsuki stared Akira for seconds that seemed like hours.

Idealism. Hope. Future.

There was a person who believed in those things, someone he hadn't had contact in some time.

Someone who had changed his and Akira's perception, no doubt. Fuyutsuki could sense it on Akira's words.

The old professor gave Akira an understanding look. He nodded and sighed.

"Very well", he simply said.

Akira leaned back, smiling softly. "Thank you professor", he answered. "I'll be glad to have you on my side."

Fuyutsuki snorted. "You always gave me too much credit", he said.

Akira sat down once again, his smile disappearing slowly as he grabbed another paper from his case.

"There's another matter,", he said, a strangely moody tone on his voice.

Fuyutsuki raised an eyebrow as Akira handed him some kind of flyer. It had flourishes on the sides, and a cursive letter filled the white paper. Below, a drawing of a small angel with blue hair, happy and joyful.

"A wedding invitation?", Fuyutsuki asked, cracking a smile. "Are you going to…"

He interrupted himself when he read the names on the invitation.

Something stung on his heart. It started to hurt, a sensation he hadn't felt in some time.

Fuyutsuki raised his head to see Akira with his back turned, his face hidden. The young man put his coat back on and grabbed his case.

"The wedding already happened a few months ago. They couldn't get in touch with you, but she asked me to deliver it", he explained.

Something on his voice told Fuyutsuki that Akira felt something similar to what he himself did.

"We'll be in touch soon, professor", said Akira, turning his head to Fuyutsuki with a fragile smile on his face. "Until then."

Akira left the room, the door creaking as it closed.

Fuyutsuki kept silent for a long time. He stared at the wall with empty eyes, his mind a blank.

Slowly, he grabbed the glass filled with whiskey. He resisted the urge to throw it on the wall, and instead, swallowed the liquid, the burning sensation on his throat not bothering him the slightest.

* * *

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

THE FIC IS NOT DEAD MY DUDES.

I'm simply struggling with matters of time and work, nothing to worry about.

Leave a **favorite and follow the story** if you liked it. Leave a **review** too, why not.

See ya soon (I promise).

Edit: how many times can someone write 'professor' and never notice?


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